Urgent action needed to avert global catastrophe, say activists
Friends of the Earth press release
IPCC REPORT: URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO AVOID A CLIMATE CATASTROPHE, SAYS FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
Reacting to the publication today (Sunday 2 November) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s 5th Synthesis Report, Friends of the Earth’s International Climate Campaigner Asad Rehman said:
“Politicians can’t say they weren't warned – climate change poses a catastrophic threat to our food, livelihoods and homes.
“David Cameron and EU Governments still haven’t woken up to the threat we face - their recent decision to do little to cut emissions until 2030 puts the interests of big polluters ahead of people and the planet.
“Rich nations who are most responsible for the climate crisis we face need to provide a ‘climate Marshall plan’ that provides finance and technology to protect all our futures.
“It’s time to listen to the science, end our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and develop a safer future based on energy efficiency and clean renewable power.”
ENDS
Notes:
1. On Sunday the 2nd of November the IPCC released its Synthesis Report, the final in the "Fifth Assessment Report" process. The report known as the “Synthesis Report” builds on three reports released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) throughout 2013-2014. The UN report builds on three previous reports, one released last September that focused on the physical science basis of climate change (Working Group 1), one in March 2014 that outlined the experienced and projected impacts of climate change (Working Group 2), and one in April 2014 on how to reduce climate pollution (known as ‘mitigation’) (Working Group 3).
The IPCC is a senior UN panel made up of thousands of climate scientists and this report marks its fifth ‘assessment’ since 1990 of the state of climate and knowledge.
2. Friends of the Earth together with partners in the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice have produced:
* A FAQ background note is available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz5U7GAFEd86T3dJVUc2UktYUlE/view
* A summary analysis of the Synthesis Report is available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz5U7GAFEd86Uy0tTWRocUE4cW8/view
3. Friends of the Earth with the support of the Stockholm Environment Institute has produced a website to help illustrate what a fair share allocation of the existing carbon budget to keep temperatures well below 1.5c could be: www.climatefairshares.org
No more debates on climate science, over to leaders
(GLAND, Switzerland) – Today in Copenhagen, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the final volume of its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The report represents seven years of work by more than a thousand scientists globally from 160 countries.
Commenting on the report, Samantha Smith, leader of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative says:
The world’s best climate scientists have given us a solid, thorough and conservative measuring stick for the global effort on climate change. This report has been approved by all 195 IPCC member governments as well as scientists. It represents an extremely broad and global scientific consensus on climate change.
It tells us that climate change is already affecting people and nature everywhere. Ocean acidification, sea level rise, extreme heat events, and profound changes in the Arctic show that climate change is already a fact. It tells us that we are the cause, and that our addiction to fossil fuels is the overwhelming source of the pollution that is changing our climate.
But while the report details the dire effects of an unstable climate, it also spells out a clear path to a cleaner, safer future. Its key findings are:
1) The world can afford to fight climate change. This will neither cripple economies nor stop development – to the contrary. What is clear is that inaction will be much more costly, even when considering conservative estimates.
2) It is not too late to avoid catastrophic climate change. Rapid, decisive action to get out of fossil fuels in particular can keep global temperature increases under 2º Celsius, which is the threshold indicated by science to avoid dangerous climate change, and agreed by governments.
3) There is a carbon budget – a limit on how much we can emit - and we have already used most of it. Globally, emissions must go down quickly, with emissions peaking this decade and going to zero mid-century if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change. Governments, businesses and indeed all of us must move beyond small steps, and move into phasing out fossil fuels completely.
4) Adaptation to climate change is critical, but there are sharp limits to it. Without immediate action on emissions and limiting impacts, adaptation will not be sufficient to protect lives, livelihoods and the natural world on which people depend.
5) Whether we act to cut emissions and adapt raises issues of equity, justice and fairness. If we fail to act, we jeopardise efforts to reduce poverty and endanger food, water and livelihoods for many of the world’s poor. We also leave today’s youth and future generations with a nearly insurmountable challenge.
In New York in September, people from all parts of society marched to demand action. Faith leaders, business, trade unions, students, grassroots organisations, civil society groups and individual citizens have called on governments to act swiftly and with ambition. Now, it is their turn – to use their broad mandate, provide the billions needed for this transition, and agree on the way forward for a global climate deal in Lima.
The new IPCC report, main conclusions and the story left untold
The fastest way to do this is to speed up the adoption of renewable energy, a process which is already happening around the world.
Greenpeace Head of International Climate Politics, Martin Kaiser said:
"For scientists, there is nothing vague about how to deal with climate change. Governments need to pay attention and phase out coal and oil now or end up doing it later at a much higher cost. However, those who seize the potential of renewable energy will leap ahead to a sustainable future."
Greenpeace Nordic Climate Policy Advisor, Kaisa Kosonen said:
"Renewables and the smart use of energy are the quickest and cleanest ways to cut emissions. Using any technology which 'handles' emissions rather than replaces fossil fuels is like smoking crack to solve an alcohol addiction."
Greenpeace Denmark Executive Director, Mads Flarup Christensen said:
"Other countries need to show Denmark's courage; we have committed to 100 per cent renewable energy and now we aim to speed up the process of saying good-bye to coal. This is not a bluff, this is the move of a progressive country with a very good hand of cards."
Greenpeace Denmark Energy, Climate and Policy Advisor, Tarjei Haaland said:
"Investors who don't see the writing on the wall and continue to recklessly throw their money into the fossil fuel industry's pit won't just be hurting themselves, but the economy of the countries in which they live. Any investment into coal and oil is dangerous both economically and environmentally."
ENDS
WRI Reacts to IPCC Synthesis Report
The final installment of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released on November 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Following three reports by IPCC Working Groups released over the past year, the synthesis report is the most exhaustive and authoritative climate study to date.
Following is a statement by Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy Programs, World Resources Institute:
"As momentum for global action builds, this report reminds us that the impacts of climate change are dangerous and far-reaching. No one reading this report can doubt the reality of climate change. Unless we sharply reduce carbon pollution, the toll on our economies and people’s well-being will be far more than we can bear.
"The good news is that solutions are well understood. A growing body of evidence finds that action on climate change can go hand-in-hand with policies that will strengthen our economies.
"The synthesis report should bring a deep sense of purpose to the climate talks in Lima. Negotiators need to lay the groundwork for a strong and universal climate agreement to be finalized in Paris next year."
