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Blair: World needs to act on climate change now
Last updated at 13:52pm on 30.10.06
Climate change: More floods and erratic weather patterns could cost the economies of the world dear
Ignoring climate change will result in the earth's temperature increasing by 5C, Tony Blair warned today.
Speaking as the Government launched the report of Sir Nicholas Stern's review of the likely impact of climate change, the Prime Minister pointed out that the last Ice Age was the result of a dip in global temperatures of around 4C-5C.
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He warned the consequences for the world if global warming continues unchecked will be "disastrous", including cutting economic growth by as much as one-fifth.
The report, which argues that taking action could cost 1 per cent of global GDP, is thought likely to pave the way to large increases in green taxes.
Chancellor Gordon Brown said the only way to prevent such tax hikes would be through an international effort to address global warming.
The Chancellor, who has recruited former US Vice President Al Gore as an international environment adviser, pledged to lead the global response.
"The truth is, we must tackle climate change internationally, or we will not tackle it at all," he said.
"Today I can say Britain will lead this global effort."
Speaking at the report's launch in London, Mr Blair said: "This is the most important report on the future published by this Government in its time in office."
The prospect of global warming is "frightening", but the scientific case that it is taking place is now "overwhelming", said the Prime Minister.
"What is not in doubt is that the scientific evidence of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is now overwhelming.
"It is not in doubt that if the science is right, the consequences for our planet are literally disastrous."
Mr Blair added: "This disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future many years ahead, but in our lifetime.
"Unless we act now... these consequences, disastrous as they are, will be irreversible.
"There is nothing more serious, more urgent, more demanding of leadership - here, of course, but most importantly in the global community."
Global issue
While Mr Blair said that the UK needed to do more - including with a Climate Change Bill - he stressed that it was a global issue which could only be dealt with internationally.
"I accept that we have to be bolder at home because it gives us international influence and it sets the standards for others to follow," he said.
"However, I want to emphasise it is only international action that will really address the problem on the scale that is needed."
He said that Sir Nicholas' "landmark" report had performed an important service.
It has demolished the last remaining argument for inaction in the face of climate change," he said.
"Should we fail to rise to this challenge I don't believe we will be able to explain ourselves to future generations that we have let down."
Mr Blair said that the dialogue begun at last year's G8 summit at Gleneagles was "critical" to finding a solution.
"We can't wait five years it took to negotiate Kyoto. We simply don't have the luxury of that time," he said.
He added that the report showed that failing to tackle climate change could cost 5 per cent to 20 per cent of world gross domestic product while action would cost just 1 per cent.
"It proves that tackling climate change is a pro-growth strategy," he said.
Unveiling his report, former World Bank chief economist Sir Nicholas said the action needed to avert the worst effects of climate change was "manageable", adding: "We can grow and be green."
The global community should aim to stabilise CO2 levels in the atmosphere at around 450-550 parts per million (ppm), he said.
Temperature rise would bring changes to human lifestyles
He warned that continuing with business as usual could mean levels rising to as much as 850 ppm, resulting in global temperatures rising by more than 5C and causing "transformational" changes to human lifestyles.
The last Ice Age was the result of a dip in global temperatures of around 4C-5C, he pointed out.
Damage caused by floods, rising sea levels and more violent weather could be the equivalent of losing 5 per cent-20 per cent of total human consumption a year, he warned.
The world's poorest countries would be hardest hit, even though it is the rich countries that are responsible for 75 per cent of all emissions.
But Sir Nicholas said the cost of acting now to stabilise atmospheric CO2 at acceptable levels would be around 1 per cent of GDP.
"This is the equivalent of paying 1 per cent more for what we buy," he said.
"It is like a one-off increase by 1 per cent in the price index. That is manageable. We can grow and be green."
Also, the scientific and technological advances needed to tackle climate change could produce a boost to the British economy in terms of improved efficiency and the development of valuable new technology, he said.
"Economically speaking, mitigation is a very good deal," said Sir Nicholas. "Business as usual, on the other hand, would eventually derail growth."
Sir Nicholas said that action on global warming must be global, long-term and flexible enough to cope with considerable risks and uncertainties.
Policy should be based on the establishment, by both trade and regulation, of a carbon-pricing system.
And it should involve the promotion of technological solutions to the problem through scientific research and development.
Reader views (10)
Climate change? What a joke.
- Kevin Shinduke, Haifa Israel
It is not true that the science of Global Warming indisputably shows that man is causing short term warming. There are responsible climate scientists and statisticians who disagree and point out that the variations are within the range of historical experience - before man's emissions could possibly have caused anything like the present warming.
Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is held up to ridicule by scientists for its imbecilic predictions of climate disaster. The movie is fiction, not fact, not scientific opinion. It is a vehicle for Al Gore to gain free publicity for his run for the US Presidency in 2008.
When the climate computer models are run with historic data from many years ago to predict the temperature today, the results show that the earth is much cooler than is predicted by these flawed models. But, instead of admitting the models are unsatisfactory, the so-called scientists say the models may be inaccurate but they are true. And, of course, we dare not fail to act because the consequences are so severe.
Skeptics like Bjorn Lomborg in Denmark, and Ross McKitrick in Canada have been persecuted by the scientific community, threatened with dismissal, and their work ignored. Why? Global Warming funds makes scientists rich and governments bigger, if there were no warming, it would have be invented. And, it seems that it has.
And, Al Gore is now named as an advisor to Gordon Brown on climate change. We are truly in the hands of imbeciles.
- Arthur, Paris, France
The sad thing is that nobody will believe Bliar even if he's right this time.
- Nigel, London
I would agree with Dave's comment if it were only this Labour government that was scare-mongering. In fact, a number of authoritative bodies and people - Nick Stern, for instance, is a respected economist and former senior vice president of the World Bank with no discernable axe to grind - now share these gloomy views. In the case of climate change it seems wiser not to be too sceptical.
- Joe, UK
It's no joke. The effect is already noticeable in the polar regions. Wake up! or it will be too late.
- Konrad, USA
Nobody, except a few, takes such warnings seriously. The effect is already noticeable in the polar regions. There is a point of no return when nothing can be done to turn it around. My scientific background helps me understand the gravity of global warning.
- Alexander, Salisbury, USA
The so called environmentalists stopped Nuclear Power in the US, and now they are crying about global warming. People like Barbara Striasen and Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and the rest of them should pay the full cost of change back to Nuclear Power. Also they should be limited in the amount of Power they use and the cars they own.
- Dan Paradise, San Jose USA
The grandstander jumps on the band wagon yet again. Is this the same buffoon, the same joker who will not allow aviation fuel to be taxed?
- Mel, Woodbridge, Suffolk
This government has not be right about anything yet. Ignore them again. Nothing will happen as it is based on flawed scientific modelling.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
We're all gonna DIE. Again.
- Frank, Wolverhampton, England.
