We must move from agreeing on what to do, to doing what has been agreed upon to protect the planet from global warming, said Tim Christophersen, head of UN Environment’s Terrestrial Ecosystems Unit, during an interview with the Global Landscapes Forum.

Pacts made by the international community including the Paris Agreement on climate change, Convention on Biological Diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals to combat climate change are already in place, Christophersen said, urging action.

“We have all these commitments. There is no excuse now. The commitment has to be to action. Governments have to catch up now and really lead. Right now, cities, municipalities, citizens are doing more than the governments, and they should be in the lead. Governments need to step up their game.”

We need both mitigation and adaptation for land, agriculture and forests in order to protect the planet from global warming, he said during the interview.

“There is a middle way that is good for food, water security, food quality and for the climate. And that’s the middle way we have to strike – more through agro-ecology, restoration of ecosystems and planting more trees in and around farms.”