THE latest warning from the worlds leading scientists about the dire impact of climate change is further evidence the issue should be back on the agenda at the G20 meeting in Brisbane, leading academics say. THE United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in a summary of its last three reports, has warned that time is running out to limit global warming, and that emissions of three key greenhouse gases were at their highest in more than 800,000 years. Yet, while economists and scientists say the issue is intrinsically linked to economic growth, climate change does not feature on the agenda at the Brisbane summit, which will bring together the largest economies in the world and the biggest emitters. Climate change was on the agenda at the previous eight G20 summits. The director of the Centre for Climate Economics and Policy at the Australian National Universitys Crawford School of Public Policy, Associate Professor Frank Jotzo, said the majority of G20 countries want to discuss climate change. And the biggest players - China, the United States and Europe - are all pursuing an active climate change policy in their countries, Prof Jotzo said on Monday. The main priority of the Brisbane summit is global economic growth. But Prof Jotzo said there were grave risks for future economic growth if the world continued on a high-emissions trajectory. Among developed countries, Australia is the most vulnerable to future climate change impacts, and so should have the greatest national interest in a strong global response to climate change, he said. The report said the planet was headed for temperatures at least 4C warmer than the pre-industrial era by 2100 - causing worsening drought, flood, rising seas and species extinctions. It comes ahead of UN talks in Lima next month to pave the way to a 2015 pact in Paris to limit warming to a safer 2C. Professor Peter Christoff from the University of Melbourne said the report was the sternest statement yet to come out of the scientific community, adding that it was astonishing climate change was not on the G20 agenda. To believe that you can simply talk about growth without dealing with climate change is illusory and any gains made in the short term are going to be lost in the longer term, Prof Christoff said. He hit out at comments from Environment Minister Greg Hunt, who on Monday said the report reaffirms precisely action taken by the Abbott government, including the Direct Action policy. The IPCC report makes no comment on the governments policy so its a nonsense to speak about the IPCC in any way commenting on Australia government policy, he said. Of Direct Action, he said its a hoax on the Australian people. theaustralian.au/news/latest-news/more-calls-for-climate-to-be-added-to-g20/story-fn3dxiwe-1227111047685?nk=d9ff0285293f2107613bb1a72a44b6b0
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 07:26:39 +0000
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