Latest from the UN.
May 5, 2007
Global warming can be controlled – but only if nations act now, UN told
Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter
The technology to prevent catastrophic global warming exists, but the world needs to act quickly, scientists and politicians agreed yesterday at a United Nations conference.
Restricting temperature rises to 2.4C (4.3F) globally by 2050 will require carbon emissions to peak by 2015, the Intergov-ernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared.
Its report on the potential for mitigating the effects of climate change and the costs involved, Summary for Policymakers, was agreed by delegations from more than 120 nations, including China, India and the US.
It identified a maximum 2 to 2.4C rise in temperatures as costing 0.12 of annual world-wide gross domestic income but governments must sign up to it almost immediately.
Current emission levels mean that a 1C rise over preindustrial levels is inevitable and limiting the increase to 2C is regarded as optimistic.
A scenario allowing for emissions to peak in 2020 would lead to a projected temperature rise of between 2.4 and 2.8C, while a peak by 2030 would result in a rise of between 2.8 and 3.2C. Inaction could cause devastating climate change with 6C increases in 100 years.
The report was welcomed by environmentalists as “a road map” to saving the planet.
The Royal Society said: “This report offers hope for the future. We cannot undo the harm that has already been done . . . however, it provides us with a realistic way forward.”
