Scientists see opportunity in the climate crisis

A climate science congress has graphically illustrated what our planet will look like if we stay on the current course.

Over 2000 climate scientists gathered in Copenhagen last week for the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change. They were called together to update climate projections for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-15) in Copenhagen later this year.

They agreed that the world has severely underestimated the rate and global impact of climate change. Global temperature, sea-level rise, ocean and ice-sheet melt, ocean acidification and extreme weather events are all changing much faster than expected.

Picture a much hotter world

Many scientists (including the former head of the IPCC) agree we can no longer keep the global temperature to a 2-degree Celsius rise above pre-industrial levels. This was the former benchmark used to measure dangerous climate change. Scientists now warn to prepare for a 4-degree rise.

In a world 4 degrees hotter:

• 20-50% of animals and plants will be extinct
• there will be up to 50% less water available in Africa
• as many as 700 million more people will be at risk of coastal flooding every year
• 85% of the Amazon will disappear
• weather events that used to happen once every 100 years will happen several times a year.

In 2007, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted sea-level rises of 18-59cm by 2100. Scientists now say it is more likely to be a metre.

Climate change impacts: Australia-Pacific region

Opportunity: Green jobs and a stronger economy

Scientists at the congress urged governments to take urgent and appropriate action to slow down the climate system. In its final statement, the congress named two of the critical barriers to climate action as:

• the power of vested interests
• continuing implicit and explicit government subsidies.

It also emphasised the danger of a low 2020 emissions reduction target.

Despite the dire emergency, congress speakers saw growth and development opportunities in addressing climate change. A globally coordinated climate mitigation policy could greatly strengthen the world economy. 

The time for urgent action has arrived. In Australia, we need to start replacing coal power stations with renewable energy and energy efficiency. This will create green jobs, reduce emissions and boost the economy. Other countries are seizing this opportunity, so why can’t Australia?