Climate change
Before 2050, the world needs to emit 50-85 % less CO2 just to limit the rise in the average global temperature to 2–2,4 ºC says IPPC.
According to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) the global average surface temperature has risen by 0.74 ºC since the beginning of the 20th century, and the temperature has risen by 0.18 ºC over the last 25 years. An increase in the average global temperature above 2 ºC will mean more:
- Water shortage
- Windstorm damage
- Flooding
- Draughts
- And other negative effects of global warming to an extent never seen before
These are some of the results of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPPC’s latest AR4 Synthesis Report. In December 2009, all UN members will meet at the Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, COP 15, to discuss how to avoid IPCC’s warnings from happening and to agree on a successor to theKyoto Protocol that expires in 2012. EU member states have already made a commitment to cut their energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20 % on 1990 levels before 2020. If a multilateral agreement is reached, this ambition will be raised to 30 %.
