The IPCC’s Synthesis Report, launched in Copenhagen on Sunday, confirmed that climate change is “being registered around the world” and carbon emissions need to be cut “sharply and rapidly” to prevent “severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts”.
One of the recommendations in the 100 page document was for global carbon emissions to be cut by 40 to 70 per cent between 2010 and 2050, falling to “zero or below” by 2100.
IPCC chair, Rajendra Pachauri, said: “We have the means to limit climate change. The solutions are many and allow for continued economic and human development.
“All we need is the will to change, which we trust will be motivated by knowledge and an understanding of the science of climate change.”
The report added that “substantial and sustained” reductions of greenhouse gasses “are at the core” of limiting climate change, and that that global economic growth “would not be strongly affected” by making these changed.
The IPCC stated that “ambitious mitigation measures” would only impact on global growth – predicted to be 3 per cent over the 21st century – by 0.06 percentage points.
Co-chair of IPCC Working Group III – which assessed options for mitigating climate change – Youba Sokona, said: “Compared to the imminent risk of irreversible climate change impacts, the risks of mitigation are manageable.”
UK energy secretary Ed Davey said the report sent a “clear message” that climate change had to be acted upon.
He said: “It’s now up to the politicians – we must safeguard the world for future generations by striking a new climate deal in Paris next year.”
Davey added that Europe has been “leading the world” in tackling climate change with the EU agreement to cut carbon emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030.