Society Must Change to Address Climate Crisis, say Scientists

Avoiding dangerous climate change will require not just rapid reductions in fossil fuel use but also a revolution in the structures of our economies and societies, according to a momentous UN scientific report on climate change to be released on April 13 in Berlin. [1]

"Scientists tell us that to avoid a rapid deterioration of the climate crisis we must immediately reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and invest massively in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Governments must act quickly following this warning. Investment in community-owned renewable energy is urgently needed," said Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth International Climate Justice and Energy coordinator.

"So far, world leaders have sorely lacked the political will to make the shift to low-carbon societies, for example by reducing fossil fuel use, and investing in community power," she added.

This third installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s Fifth Assessment Report will illustrate the very significant socio-economic changes that are needed to cut our carbon emissions.

"Scientists confirm that we must take urgent steps to avoid triggering catastrophic climate change and its irreversible impacts on humans and ecosystems. Real solutions to the climate crisis are already available. We need community-based energy solutions, energy efficiency and reduced consumption levels, not dangerous energy sources like fossil fuels or nuclear power," said Inga Roemer of Friends of the Earth Germany / BUND.

The IPCC report is likely to suggest that energy efficiency and renewable power, but also nuclear, have a role to play in addressing the climate crisis.

BIOFUELS

The IPCC stated on March 31, 2014 that using biofuels to reduce fossil fuel use has caused food price rises, "risk of increased food insecurity", and "further marginalizing smallholders and indigenous peoples," whilst causing additional carbon emissions. [2]

"False solutions like biofuels may make money for big business but they do little to solve the climate crisis. They increase food prices, deforestation, land grabs and carbon emissions," said Robbie Blake, biofuels campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe.

Biofuels have been promoted as a supposed solution to rising emissions from transport and, in the past decade, their use has increased five-fold.

SUSTAINABLE DIETS

The report may also, for the first time, identify the importance of sustainable diets to reducing greenhouse gas, for example diets with significantly less meat than is the norm in developed countries.