Buildup to COP29: Biotechnology for perilous times

The evidence is clear now: Not acting on climate change will be catastrophic for humanity. Moreover, most climate scientists agree that the current rate of progress puts us well on that path.

Two decades ago, the climate debate focused on changing weather patterns and avoiding economic burdens to countries. In 2024, this narrative shifted to "population outside the human climate niche" and "societal collapse."

The article is short and to the point: Renewables have had the same increase as fossil fuels, a simple reflection of a growing energy demand. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and an optimistic scenario entails 'extreme adaptation,' which refers to drastic changes in our systems and behaviors to cope with the effects of climate change. We must earn each decimal of degree that we can keep from rising.

From reading the report and considering the traditional and novel areas of development of synthetic biology, we find that biotechnologists will be critical players in this enterprise in several aspects, for example:

1) The invention of sustainable fuels for transport.
2) The adaptation of food production to new conditions.
3) The production of sustainable synthetic protein sources for food.
4) The transformation of industrial processes to produce sustainably and reduce waste.
5) Protecting biodiversity by engineering resistance to adverse conditions or safeguarding genetic information.

¿Will biotechnological solutions be enough? The article seems to predict that a fundamental change in how richer societies live will be unavoidable. We believe that technology can make this shift (more) attractive and help more vulnerable countries to level up quickly.

Read "The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth"

United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties 29 (COP29) will begin on November 11th in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the theme "In solidarity for a green world." The organizers have expressed that the action plan for the conference is based on two pillars: Enhance ambition and enable action.