Radical cuts needed to curb climate change

11 Sept 2008

Wales must make radical cuts in emissions of climate changing gases. This is the call that has gone to senior politicians in Wales from a leading environmental organisation following the publication of new scientific research¹.

The Welsh Assembly Government has set a target of cutting emissions by 3% a year from 2011 in areas where power has been devolved. This, says Friends of the Earth Cymru, is far too little in the light of the new research. Director of the environmental group, Gordon James, has written to the leaders of all four major political parties in Wales, calling on them to back a target to cut emissions by 9% a year.

Party leaders have been sent a copy of the new report by world leading experts on climate change from the Tyndall Centre at Manchester University. The report warns that the political response to climate change is totally inadequate and that draconian cuts in emissions must be made to avoid catastrophic and irreversible climate change.

The Tyndall report states that globally there has to be annual emission cuts of six per cent a year, but that industrialised countries, which have produced most of the emissions, need to make "draconian cuts".

Friends of the Earth Cymru will be presenting the Tyndall Centre's latest research at a fringe meeting² at the Plaid Cymru conference on Thursday 11^th September. The following day, a motion at the Plaid Cymru conference will be calling for Wales to adopt the 9% target.

Gordon James said:

"All over the world, people are experiencing extremes of weather that bear out the warnings issued by climate scientists. Yet our political representatives, with a few exceptions, have failed to act.

"This latest research is a giant wake-up call to the whole world. It's now clear that we cannot put off taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but must act immediately.

"It is vital that Wales plays its part in making the emissions cuts we need right now. Every decision we make ought to be seen through the lens of climate change. How we travel, how we generate energy, how we house and feed ourselves - all have to be working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

"This latest research shows that the Welsh Assembly Government is on the right track by insisting on annual targets for our emissions reductions. But aiming for 3% annual cuts must now be seen as far too little. There has to be a firm commitment to an annual reduction of 9% in Welsh greenhouse gas emissions.

"Many of the solutions to climate change already exist in the form of, for instance, vastly improved energy efficiency, the large scale development of renewable energy systems and major improvements in public transport. All these solutions are in areas in which the Welsh Assembly can play a major role in bringing about the radical changes we need".

LETTER TO WELSH PARTY POLITICAL LEADERS

New research¹ by the renowned Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester University clearly demonstrates that the political response to climate change falls well short of what is necessary to avoid catastrophic consequences.

It is now clear that all governments need to re-assess their policies and set far tougher targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. A failure to do so could mean that our children will live in a world dominated by irreversible and frightening climate change. It is vital that Wales plays its part in making the emissions cuts we need right now.

In a recent paper, published in the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions Journal on September 1st, the Tyndall scientists, Dr Kevin Anderson and Dr Alice Bows, examine the latest emissions data and future scenarios. They conclude:

"It is increasingly unlikely any global agreement will deliver the radical reversal in emission trends required for stabilisation at 450ppmv CO2e (parts per million volume of carbon dioxide equivalent). Given the reluctance, at virtually all levels, to openly engage with the unprecedented scale of both current emissions and their associated growth rates, even an optimistic interpretation of the current framing of climate change implies stabilisation much below 650 ppmv CO2e is improbable"

They point out in the paper that 650 ppmv CO2e is equivalent to a 4⁰C temperature rise. It is widely believed that average global temperature rise should not be allowed to exceed 2⁰C (around 450 ppmv CO2e) in order to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change. The paper also refers to research that shows that, in order to restrict temperature rise to 2⁰C, concentrations should be stabilised at or below 350 ppmv CO2e - i.e below current levels. This gives an indication of the immense challenge we face in preventing catastrophic climate change from happening this century.

The research shows that the Welsh Assembly Government is on the right track by setting annual targets for our emissions reductions. This is preferable to setting long-term emissions targets, such as 50% by 2050, which fail to take on board the crucial importance of current emission trends and their impact on cumulative emissions. Simply aiming to cut emissions by 3% a year, however, is now clearly not enough.

Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling on all party leaders in Wales to immediately re-assess the situation in response to the new evidence. We believe there must be a firm commitment to achieve annual cuts in greenhouse gas emissions in Wales, in areas of devolved responsibility, of at least 9% a year.

While the Tyndall paper states that there ought to be annual carbon reductions of 6% a year globally, it points out that OECD countries, which are responsible for most of the emissions, ought to achieve "draconian emission reductions".

Many of the solutions to climate change already exist in the form of, for instance, vastly improved energy efficiency, the large scale development of renewable energy systems and major improvements in public transport. Sadly, there has been insufficient political will to implement the necessary polices on anything like the required scale.

All these solutions are in areas in which the Welsh Assembly can play a major role in bringing about the radical changes we need.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Gordon James
Director, Friends of the Earth Cymru

NOTES

1. 'Revisiting Emission Scenarios in the Light of Post-2000 Emission Trends' by Dr Kevin Anderson and Dr Alice Bows of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester University. This was published in the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions Journal on September 1st and is available online at http://royalsociety.org/
2. 'Can Plaid rise to the challenge of climate change?'
   Thursday 11th September, 4.30pm.
   The Cinema, Aberystwyth Arts Centre
   

For further information please contact Friends of the Earth Cymru on 029 2022 9577