Kew's work is helping to combat climate change and plants are essential in this effort

As world leaders sit down to discuss the future of our planet in Copenhagen this week, Kew believes that plants have never been more essential in combating climate change. Our Breathing Planet Programme plays a vital role in protecting some of the richest and most naturally diverse places on the planet, helping to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Map icon
View on map: UK - Kew Gardens,

04 Dec 2009

  •  
  • Close Thanks for liking this page. Tell us why by adding a comment at the bottom.
View of a Madagascar rainforest

View of a Madagascar rainforest - Madagascar is home to an estimated 10,000–12,000 plant species, over 90% of which are found nowhere else on earth.

Conserving genetic diversity in botanic gardens and seed banks is a sensible and practical precaution for an uncertain future, says Steve Hopper. With species loss at an unnatural high and with climate change threatening many ecosystems, the need to invest in these facilities has never been greater.

Professor Stephen Hopper, Director RBG Kew

Our climate is changing and getting warmer

There is now overwhelming scientific agreement that climate change is impacting people and environments all around the world. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities have caused a rise in global average temperatures of 0.74°C in the last 100 years. Importantly, models and projections of the future for the environment suggest that emissions of greenhouse gases will continue to rise, and temperature rises of up to 6˚C could be seen by 2100. 

In a recent report from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, which was the first to look at global emissions since 2000, it was concluded that given current emissions and their growth rates, temperature rises of less than 4˚C are improbable.

Under these conditions, Kew has concerns for the future of the world's plant life. Even a temperature rise of 2-3˚C could put up to half the world’s plant species at risk of extinction. Today, between 60,000 and 100,000 species of plant are faced with the threat of extinction – roughly a quarter of all plant species.

Plants are vital to combat climate change

Plants are the major regulators of the world’s climate and underpin all life on our planet. 

By taking energy from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air, plants provide the air we breathe and play a fundamental role in stabilising the Earth’s climate and producing the foods, medicines, materials and oxygen that support our lives. Plants also help to counteract environmental change by absorbing CO2, turning it into plant material.

Plant life must be conserved if climate change is to be moderated and humanity is to survive. Without plants there is no sustainable solution to manage climate change.

Kew's science and conservation work is making a difference

Kew's scientists are extremely concerned about the impacts of climate change on the world's plant life, and the resulting impacts of human wellbeing, and we take our role as an agent for the mitigation of climate change very seriously.

The Breathing Planet Programme is Kew's 10 year vision for the future. It draws on our historic plant reference collections, scientific expertise and international partnerships to increase positive conservation outcomes around the world.

In 2000, Kew joined with other botanical organisations around the world to call for a global integrated plant conservation plan. The call was instrumental in the development of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation in 2002, which formed the first worldwide action plan aiming to halt the loss of plant species.

In 2006, we helped formulate and subsequently signed the Gran Canaria Declaration II which calls for immediate conservation action to protect plant species most at risk from climate change. Kew is now working with partners in over 100 countries to implement these action plans.

Kew's unique strengths   

Kew's GIS team working with partners in the field in Madagascar
Kew's GIS team working with partners in the field in Madagascar

Kew's key strength is the size of its collections and the expertise associated with these. Our Herbarium holds over 7 million preserved plant specimens and data on how plant species are distributed around the world. Kew also uses the study of phenology to investigate the effects of environmental change on plant life cycles.

We also carry out vegetation surveys around the world to understand how the distribution and diversity of plant life is changing. These surveys can help protect plants for the future. Typically they might lead to improvements in land use, for example reforestation, or to the designation of conservation status to rich natural habitats.

For example, Kew’s work with other organisations to map the vegetation of Madagascar is helping to prioritise areas for conservation. Madagascar is one of the world's top ten biodiveristy hotpots. It has an incredible diversity of life, over 90% of which are found nowhere else on earth. Sadly, much of Madagascar's valuable flora is under severe threat from vegetation clearance to make way for agriculture, charcoal production and timber extraction. There is also a threat from the illegal collection of orchids, palms and succulents. Through our global conservation and science work, Kew is helping to protect plant life in Madagascar.

Get involved – Adopt a Seed, Save a Species

Without plants there could be no life on earth, and yet every day another four plant species face extinction. Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership has successfully banked 10% of the world's wild plant species, and we have set our sights on saving 25% by 2020. For just £1,000 or £2,000 you can help this effort by saving an entire plant species outright. Or you can get involved by adopting a seed for just £25.

Adopt a seed for £25 | Save a species outright

Discover more about Kew's work around the world

Interactive map - Explore Kew's work around the world

Scientific Research & Data

Browse Kew news

12 comments on 'Kew's work is helping to combat climate change and plants are essential in this effort'

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank says

08/12/2010 1:20:20 PM | Report abuse

Thanks for your comment Tom. In the next six months we are planning to overhaul the web access to Kew's seed lists. One of the important changes we are working on will be to allow public access and browsing of the seed lists without the need for registration. However, samples of seeds will continue to be available only to bone fide users and subject to the terms of material transfer agreements. As is the case now, potential users will have to register before they will be allowed to place a seed order.

Tom Hulse says

08/12/2010 12:43:42 AM | Report abuse

I wonder if you would reconsider opening at least view-only access for the seed list to the public? May I ask what is the rationale for limiting view-only access?
It would be helpful to many persons that are perhaps not qualified to order seed from the bank, but would still like to see the list. For instance research & journalism that does not need access to the seed, just the info. It would be helpful in informing several critical discussions about conservation.
I guess we would like to know specifically how you are doing on individual examples so we can get an idea if it is proper, or not, to let let for-profit collectors have unlimited access to harvesting & transporting seeds, in order to save vanishing species, as they propose. Keep up the good work, and congratulations on your progress so far.

Digital Media Team says

03/11/2010 2:08:02 PM | Report abuse

Thank you for getting in touch with Kew Derek. What a great place to live! We'll get in touch with you via email about this fantastic offer.

Derek Havelock says

03/11/2010 7:13:01 AM | Report abuse

Hi there to the Kew Madagascar Team. My wife, children and I live on the shore of Lac Itasy, in the heart of Madagascar ... and in Tana (capital). If your team knows the area, then we are 5km south of Ampefy, on the edge of Lac Itasy. We want to help Kew map plants in our area if possible, but we lack the skills necessary. If your team can give us any pointers, then we'd truly TRULY love to help in any way we can. In excited anticipation of your response Derek and Fleur Havelock Madagascar.

Kew MSBP says

06/05/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thanks for your question Bill, it's a good one. We currently publish an online Seed List for use across scientific research and plant conservation. Our Seed List includes information about the seed collections we hold, the species we've banked and their location in the world. Users need to register before they can use the list. http://www.kew.org/msbp/faq/askforseeds.htm We are currently working to improve access to the MSB's seed collections too. As part of this work we must also continue to meet our obligations of confidentiality to our partners. In the future, the MSBP aims to extend its collecting efforts to several new countries. Our focus is on collecting seed from plant species faced with the threat of extinction and plants of most use in the future.

Karin says

24/04/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Great job to save plants for the future, we never know when one of them might be needed to "save the world". I hope that you will upgrade the site with new facts about the climate, since it seems that the earth has been cooling for the last ten years, and the ices on the north pole has in fact expanded. Good news!!

Bill says

22/04/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Wonderful project (although a shame we have to) . Is there a list or more information on what plants have been collected, what countries need adding to get a comprehensive collection of the worlds seeds.

Kew Feedback Team says

22/01/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

The study that you're looking for is the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005). Check out the Biodiversity report for more information and references http://www.millenniumassessment.org/

Digital Media Team says

22/01/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thanks for your comment Björn. I've forwarded your question on to our feedback team and we will post any update we receive in this thread.

Björn says

21/01/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Can anyone mail me the citation of a study, that proofs the number of 60,000 to 100,000 plant species that faces extinction?

jim says

15/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

excellent work!!

derek griffin says

08/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

I had no idea that Kew did so much work in the area of climate change. Really crucial stuff in light of Copenhagen. Great news that the USA seem to be getting on board with this agenda too.

Follow Kew

Keep up to date with events and news from Kew

Sign up to Kew News

Related Links

Adopt a Seed, Save a Species

Related Tags

  1. discovered
  2. around the world
  3. sustainable
  4. challenging
  5. ground breaking
  6. the UK
  7. adventurous
  8. at risk
  9. rainforest
  10. uncharted
  11. successful
  12. needs help
  13. irreplaceable
  14. rich
  15. together
  16. powerful
  17. extraordinary
  18. beautiful
  19. english heritage
  20. historical
  21. interesting
  22. rare
  23. inspiring
  24. ancient
  25. unusual
  26. rare
  27. old
  28. Kew overseas
  29. amazing
  30. creative
  31. imaginative
  32. exploited
  33. verge of extinction
  34. exotic
  35. innovative
  36. popular
  37. fragile
  38. urgent
  39. collections
  40. conserving
  41. protecting
  42. wet tropics
  43. gifts that help
  44. partnerships
  45. edible
  46. flowering
  47. pretty
  48. useful
  49. hot spot
  50. wild
  51. fieldwork
  52. South East Asia
  53. fun
  54. woodland
  55. surveying
  56. english garden

Get updates from Kew on twitter

Sourced from @KewGardens

Unable to parse the data in the RSS file.

http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/16543454.rss

See your favourite reasons to visit