Society must act now to tackle climate change, says IPCC
The need for human society as a whole to look at changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns is the major message coming out of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's new report on how to reduce the world's greenhouse gas emissions, according to Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the IPCC. The report, which Mr Pachauri described as 'stunning in its brilliance and razor sharp in its relevance', follows two earlier IPCC reports on the science and impacts of climate change. On lifestyle changes, the report's authors write that, 'changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns that emphasise resource conservation can contribute to developing a low carbon economy that is both equitable and sustainable.' In the summary for policymakers, the report's authors point out that while there is 'substantial economic potential' for the mitigation of global greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades, no one sector or technology can address the entire mitigation challenge. Furthermore, while many of the technologies needed to address climate change already exist or will be commercialised in the near future, 'appropriate and effective incentives' are needed to speed up the development, deployment and diffusion of these technologies and address related barriers. Governments have a major role to play in providing these incentives, for example through research funding, financial contributions, tax credits, standard setting and market creation. Placing a price on carbon is also recognised as providing all sectors with an incentive to reduce emissions. On policies, the authors note that 'integrating climate policies in broader development policies makes implementation and overcoming barriers easier'. The report looks in detail at the technological options for reducing emissions in the energy, transport, building, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste sectors. Energy efficiency is identified as offering immediate opportunities for carbon emission reductions in all sectors discussed in the report, and nuclear power and carbon capture and storage technologies are also identified as technologies which could have a role to play. However, the authors warn that geo-engineering options, such as seeding the oceans with CO2 or blocking sunlight by putting material in the upper atmosphere, remain 'largely speculative and unproven, and with the risk of unknown side-effects'. On the costs of these measures, the report points out that deciding when to act involves 'balancing the economic costs of more rapid emission reductions now against the corresponding medium-term and long-term climate risks of delay'. However, they go on to warn that delaying emission reductions will lead to investments which lock in more energy intensive infrastructures. 'This significantly constrains the opportunities to achieve lower stabilisation levels and increases the risk of more sever climate change impacts'. The report also highlights the non-climate related benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as reducing air pollution, improved health, greater energy security, increased agricultural production and a reduction in pressure on natural ecosystems. The three reports will now feed into a fourth synthesis report which will be released in November this year.