Sustainable energy and technology can curb climate change and meet projected growth in demand for energy but only if key decisions are made within the next five years, according to a new World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report.
WWF warns that the governmental policies needed to propel this transition are not now in place, or even in prospect in most cases.
“This report says that we can breathe a sigh of relief: it’s not too late to save ourselves and our children from the worst ravages of climate change while still meeting the demand for energy,” said Richard Mott, Vice President for International Policy at World Wildlife Fund. “But the report also warns that this opportunity is fleeting. Any delay and our choices become both more difficult and much more expensive.”
The study showed with more than a 90% probability that known energy sources and proven technologies could be harnessed between now and 2050 to meet a projected doubling in global demand for energy while also achieving the necessary 60-80% drop in CO2 emissions necessary to control climate change.
The report identifies six key solutions:
Improving energy efficiency
Stopping forest loss
Accelerating the development of low-emissions technologies
Developing flexible fuels
Replacing high-carbon coal with low-carbon gas
Equipping fossil-fuel plants with carbon capture and storage technology
While the study shows that a solution to the current climate crisis is within reach, the governmental actions and economic policies needed to drive the switch to sustainable technologies may well be years away based on current progress. In five years, it may be too late to avert a breach of the 2 degree C threshold for avoiding dangerous climate change. Socially disruptive options may be forced upon us or we will face interventions with significant impacts on the global economy.
“Those in power today have a unique opportunity, a duty, to avert a catastrophe. Generations to come will face dire consequences if our leaders fail to act within the next five years.”
The full report can be found at:
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