By Martin Banks - 22nd June 2009
The major ingredient missing is political will
Katherine Richardson
Society faces "serious risks" from climate change - even with a global increase in temperature of only about two degrees, according to a new report.
The study, by the University of Copenhagen, said that if society wants to minimise these risks "action must be taken now".
The launch of the 36-page document comes six months before the UN climate change conference (COP 15) begins in Copenhagen.
"Even with only one to two degrees warming there is evidence pointing towards the very real possibility of triggering tipping points caused by human man-made climate change," said professor John Schellnhuber, one of the report's authors and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
"Even if we keep global warming below two degrees, we will still see extreme effects of climate change on our societies," he said.
"Data suggests that climate indicators such as sea-level rise and glacier-melt are all changing at the maximum rate projected at the time of the last IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] report."
Report co-author Katherine Richardson said, "Society has all the tools necessary to respond to climate change. The major ingredient missing is political will.
"Already many societies are struggling with the effects of climate change. If society wants to avoid even more serious and in most cases irreversible impacts of climate change, then there is very little time left."
The report was presented to a meeting in Brussels organised by the European Policy Centre think tank.
It is based on discussions made at a scientific congress in Copenhagen in March.
It comes after Greens/EFA deputy leader Rebecca Harms said that at last week's summit in Brussels, EU leaders had "again failed to make substantial steps forward" in the lead-up to the Copenhagen conference.
The MEP said, "Another EU summit with climate on the agenda, another outcome of stagnation and procrastination from EU heads of state and government.
"Their continued claims to be climate leaders are now bordering on the delusional in light of their ongoing failure to take the necessary action.
"Instead of seizing the initiative, EU leaders consistently pass the buck to the next meeting. It is well established that industrialised nations need to reduce emissions by 25 to 40 per cent compared to 1990 levels. Negotiations in Bonn resulted in commitments around eight to14 per cent, well short of what is needed.
"This downward spiral of ambition must be reversed.
"It is broadly accepted that there will be no meaningful international agreement on climate change if industrialised nations fail to make clear financial commitments towards mitigation and adaptation measures in developing countries.
"EU leaders again had the opportunity to put a figure on that commitment, again they pushed the decision aside for a later date."
