Expected on 8 October, the special report by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on changes to the climate and the Paris Climate Agreement’s 1.5°C global warming objective will among to a call for a shakeup in the EU, stressed Prof. Bert Metz, former IPCC and Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA) on Thursday 27 September.
At a European press conference, Prof. Metz said we are far from what is required as emissions are continuing to rise and if the 2 C objective is to be met, then emissions have to be cut rapidly from 2010 onwards, and for the 1.5°C target, more rapidly still. He said this was the main lesson in the report.
The report was called for by all governments under the framework of the Paris Climate Agreement, said Bas Eickhout. He said the two political messages were that the impact of climate change differs radically depending on whether one is well below 2° or 1.5°and 1.5 is a realistic target, but requiring rapid action to achieve negative emissions in the second half of the century.
The MEP said we should achieve net zero emissions well before 2050, but it is much secure to and less onerous to reduce CO2 emissions where possible than to count on the vagaries of future technology. He said this was very important for cars because the car industry is attempting delaying action ahead of the European Parliament’s ‘crucial’ vote on 3 October (see other articles).
The report is expected to show that the NDCs on the table will lead to 3°C or higher; the risks to be expected are significantly less at 1.5 C: than at 2°C, including in the EU; 1.5°C implies being at zero net emissions at global level by 2055-2070 and, for the EU and other industrialised countries, net zero emissions by 2050; the aim of 1.5°C can be achieved but will require radical changes in current policies (renewable energy, energy efficiency, electrification, eliminating coal, carbon capture); part of the solution would be to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, but available technologies are scarce; 1.5°C would make it possible to achieve the universal sustainable development objectives more easily. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)