Just five years to avoid climate catastrophe, says WWF
The world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable according to a new analysis from WWF. Climate Solutions 2 is the first analysis to put timetables to the industrial transformations needed to limit global carbon emissions to below the 2?C level scientists identify as presenting unacceptable risks of runaway climate change. It was prepared for WWF by Climate Risk a company known for its work on climate change for global insurers and infrastructure providers.The report found that beyond 2014 the feasible upper limits of industrial growth rates will make it impossible for market economies to meet the carbon targets required to keep global warming below 2�C. The report also found that market measures alone will not be enough to deliver emissions reductions on the scale required and that delays will increase the levels of direct intervention needed in the economy.Climate Solutions 2 tells us that we need to start making the change to a low-carbon economy today said Kim Carstensen who leads WWF's Global Climate Initiative. The transformation will require sustained growth in clean and efficient industry in excess of 20 per cent a year over a period of decades. The report's modelling shows how we can sustain these growth rates but also makes it clear this will be the fastest industrial revolution witnessed in our history. The findings of this report offer a pragmatic sobering and urgent warning to world leaders that the window of opportunity to act on climate change is rapidly closing. The time for playing politics with our future is long past. The way forward according to the report is simultaneous action on all greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors with market measures backed with a full range of other policies including energy efficiency standards feed-in tariffs for renewable energy and an end to 'perverse' subsidies for fossil fuel use.According to the report countries not pursuing all carbon abatement options in all sectors will tend to develop least-cost industries first and only develop other low carbon industries as they become affordable.Computer modelling and historical records agree that sequential development of industries which would result from undue reliance on a single mechanism such as a rising carbon price will make it impossible to meet emissions targets on time. Industries that come online later will have to grow considerably faster because of the delays in start-up and will be hit harder by constraints on available resources labour and expertise.