IEMA Backs Calls for Global Action on Climate Change in Response to Latest IPCC Report

Following publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the mitigation of climate change, IEMA calls for political will and climate leadership to reduce long-term impacts.

Martin Baxter, Executive Director - Policy at IEMA said: “The IPCC report is clear; there is a critical need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate change. Action is needed now to provide the best chance of keeping global annual average temperature change to below 2°C relative to pre?industrial levels. Tackling climate change is affordable, but failure to act now will reduce the chance of avoiding significant climate impacts, lock-in high-carbon infrastructure and increase long-term costs.”

“We have the capability to address the challenge of climate change and make the transformation to a low carbon, climate resilient economy and society. We now need the political will and climate leadership to put in place a global agreement to make it happen” said Baxter.

The IPCC’s report “Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change” assesses the options for mitigating climate change and their underlying technological, economic and institutional requirements.

It follows: the IPCC’s report “Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability”, which assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it; and the IPCC’s 2013 report “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis” which assesses the physical scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change.