MEDIA ADVISORY
Monday October 30, 2006
Friends of the Earth International
CLIMATE CHANGE STUDY SHOWS URGENT
MEASURES NEEDED
LONDON (UK), October 30, 2006 -- A tough
package of measures to reduce climate
change-causing emissions, including
legally-binding annual targets, must follow
today’s publication of the Stern Report in
the UK [1], Friends of the Earth
International urged today.
The ‘Stern Review on the economics of
climate change’, which looks at the economic
costs of climate change, shows that
governments can afford to act – and must do
so urgently – to avoid disastrous economic
costs. The report says that measures to
tackle climate change will have economic
benefits and that an investment of just one
per cent in the global economy will avoid
costs of 10 per cent.
Friends of the Earth International Climate
Campaigner Catherine Pearce said:
“The Stern Review highlights the need for
urgent action at an international level. As
we approach the climate talks in Nairobi, it
is essential that ministers pay heed to the
warning and negotiate for tough cuts in
carbon dioxide emissions after 2012. There is
no excuse for delay. We know that immediate
efforts are required to cut emissions in the
developed world. The green technology to take
us to a low carbon future is available - what
it requires is the investment.”
Friends of the Earth International
vice-chair Tony Juniper said:
“This report turns the conventional attitude
to the economics of climate change on its
head. For too many years industry lobbyists
have claimed that action on climate change
was not affordable, but this proves this is
not the case. The Stern report will provide
valuable ammunition at the international
climate talks in Nairobi next week – and
should help persuade more reluctant countries
to act. The Kyoto Protocol must be
strengthened and new ways found of bringing
other countries on board.”
The report highlights the costs of
inaction and warned of the global impacts,
with the threat that millions of people will
be displaced as a result of increased drought
and rising sea levels. Access to water will
become a major issue and millions of species
could die out. But Sir Nicholas Stern said
that the cost of tackling the problem was
affordable and that polluters had to be made
to pay.
Friends of the Earth International said
that green taxation has to be part of a wide
package needed to tackle rising emissions,
with money raised used to help make
alternatives to flying and motoring cheaper
and more attractive.
Tony Juniper continued:
“If the world is to avert global economic,
social and environmental catastrophe, then a
broad package of measures is needed at a
national and international level. The
technology exists to take us forward to a
clean green low carbon future but emissions
across the European Union as a whole are
still rising. Governments need to recognise
the urgent need to embrace such change and
adopt climate friendly policies at every
level.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Friends of the Earth Press Office in
London +44-20 7566 1649
International Climate Campaigner Catherine
Pearce +44-7811 283641
NOTES TO EDITORS
[1] For more information on the Stern
report see
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/10/30/warming.report/index.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6096084.stm
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