Brussels, 27/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - “What would you do if your doctor was 95% sure you had a serious illness? … Would you just ignore them and continue business as usual or would you start looking for a cure? It's just common sense. The same logic applies to climate science.” Such was the analogy drawn by , responding on Friday 27 September to publication on that day of the latest report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is unequivocal in confirming that climate change is taking place and that “there is at least 95% certainty that human activities are the principal cause”.
“The day when all scientists with 100% certainty warn you against climate change, it will be too late”, warned Hedegaard. She went on to point out that Europe has “ambitious” legislation in place, is reducing its emissions considerably, expanding renewables and saving energy, and is getting ready for the next step: “climate and energy targets for 2030 that the Commission will present before the end of the year”. The reality, she argued, is that others are now following suit and “Europe will continue to demand more action from all the emitters”.
In the same vein, the leader of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda stated that “science can no longer be ignored”, and neither must it be forgotten that “climate change is also an opportunity for job creation”. He went on to say that it was deplorable that some newly elected conservative governments, notably in Australia, are planning to undo the progress of previous governments in combating climate change.
Greens/EFA Group climate spokesperson Satu Hassi also highlighted “the increasing global scientific conviction” about the impact of human activities on climate change. In the light of the IPCC conclusions he says that the EU needs to remedy what is failing in its climate policy, for example, by increasing the “outdated” 2020 greenhouse gas reduction target. The Greens also want longer-term reduction targets to be set, notably for 2030.
In addition to stating that warming of the climate system is “unequivocal” and that it is “extremely likely” (meaning that there is now at least 95% certainty) that human activities caused most of the observed increase in surface temperature over the last 60 years, the IPCC report says that each of the last three decades has been successively warmer than any preceding decade since instrumental records began in 1850. It says, too, that, if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced significantly, the rise in global average surface temperature could be limited to between 0.9°C and 2.3°C above pre-industrial levels, and sea level rise to 30-50 cm relative to 1986-2005, towards the end of this century. However, if no action is taken, there is a 62% chance that by 2081-2100 the temperature could be more than 4°C higher than in pre-industrial times, with a likely sea-level rise of between 40 and 80 cm relative to 1986-2005. (OL/transl.fl)