Climate talks an ‘unprecedented chance for change’
At a news conference, the UN’s Yvo de Boer called on the 192 nations represented at the climate summit starting today “to deliver a strong and long-term response to the challenge of climate change”.
Even so, he worried that emails pilfered from a British university would fuel scepticism among those who believe that scientists exaggerate global warming.
“I think a lot of people are sceptical about this issue in any case,” de Boer said. “And then when they have the feeling ... that scientists are manipulating information in a certain direction then of course it causes concern in a number of people to say ‘you see I told you so, this is not a real issue’.”
Emails stolen from the climate unit at the University of East Anglia appeared to show some of world’s leading scientists discussing ways to shield data from public scrutiny and suppress others’ work.
Those who deny the influence of man-made climate change have seized on the correspondence to argue that scientists have been conspiring to hide evidence about global warming.
“This correspondence looks very bad,” de Boer said, but noted that the matter was being investigated by the university, police and the head of the UN’s expert panel on climate change. He also defended the research – reviewed by some 2,500 scientists – that shows man has fuelled global warming by burning fossil fuels.
“I think this is about the most credible piece of science that there is out there,” he said.
Climate sceptics meeting in downtown Copenhagen for a panel discussion organised by a Danish nationalist party said the leaked emails highlighted the limitations of global warming research.
“There has been a lot of this kind of activity going on, there has been suppression of view points,” said Roger Pielke Jr, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado.
Negotiators in Copenhagen are trying to set targets for controlling emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases, including by the leading contributors, China and the United States. They will also seek agreement on how much rich countries should pay to help poor nations to deal with climate change.
De Boer said Copenhagen must be a “turning point” in the international response to climate change.
“Never in the 17 years of climate negotiations have so many different nations made so many firm pledges together,” De Boer said. “It’s simply unprecedented.”
De Boer said “it’s going to be two weeks of negotiation to try and get the ambition level up and get the financial specifics on the table”.
The emissions cuts offered have disappointed scientists and poorer nations facing damaging climate change. They say greenhouse gases, by 2020, must be reduced by 25-40% below 1990 output to keep temperatures in the less dangerous range of 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above preindustrial levels.
The European Union approaches that target pledging to cut emissions by 20% below 1990 levels, and more if others agree. Awaiting US congressional action, however, the Obama administration could make only a provisional offer of a 17% reduction by 2020 from 2005 levels. Against 1990, that represents only a 3-4% cut, experts say.
The developing world is offering its own actions, including clean energy projects. China says it will, by 2020, reduce gases by 40-45% below “business as usual,” that is, judged against 2005 figures for energy used versus economic output. India offers a 20-25% slowdown in emissions growth.
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