Comment by Prof Kevin Anderson on the CCC report, in relation to aviation CO2

Kevin commented:  “Although the CCC have not detailed their choice of UK carbon budget, read between the lines and it is clear they see this fair Isle receives a disproportionately large slice of the global carbon pie. Such colonialism is then exacerbated by passing a significant burden for reducing today’s emissions onto our children – and subsequently their children. These future generations will need to invent and deploy planetary-scale technologies to suck 100s of billions of tonnes of ‘our’ emissions out of the atmosphere. This generational transfer of responsibility enables the CCC to maintain a thriving aviation sector and leave unquestioned the huge inequality in who is responsible for most of UK emissions. What’s not to like – business as usual, albeit with a sizeable green twist, and influential high-emitting groups left unencumbered by policies tailored towards their carbon-intensive lifestyles. More disturbing still, clever use of the CCC’s report will see it used to support Heathrow expansion, shale gas developed and even ongoing offshore oil and gas exploration.”
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Expert reaction to the net zero report

2nd May 2019

From Science Media Centre

A report published by The Committee on Climate Change states that the UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

Prof Corinne Le Quéré FRS, Royal Society Research Professor at the University of East Anglia and Member of the Committee on Climate Change, said:

“The target of net-zero by 2050 in our CCC report refers to all greenhouse gases, without the use of international offsets and covering international aviation and shipping. There are many definitions of net-zero. All net-zeros are good, but not all net-zeros have the same level of ambition. Net-zero for all greenhouse gases ends the UK contribution to further warming.”

Prof Richard Betts, Head of Climate Impacts Research at the Met Office and Chair in Climate Impacts at the University of Exeter, said:

“The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to 1.5C, but there is still a huge gulf between these ambitions and the reality of current international commitments.  This means that the world is still on track for major climate change impacts.  To help minimise these impacts, the CCC’s analysis shows how the UK can take a lead in reducing emissions faster.  As well as the big things that could be done by government and large organisations, they also make practical suggestions for individuals – so anyone wondering ‘what can I do?’ will find this useful.”

Prof Kevin Anderson, Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester, said:

“The CCC’s lengthy report will be enthusiastically welcomed by Government ministers, many senior academics and NGO glitterati. They will acknowledge the challenges it implies, whilst at the same time noting how the CCC has demonstrated a credible pathway to a ‘net’ zero carbon UK. But peer under the bonnet and all is not quite as it seems.

“The Paris Agreement combined with the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report sets the total quantity of carbon emissions we can emit (a global carbon budget range) if we’re to keep warming to “well below 2°C” and ideally “pursue … 1.5°C”. Although the CCC have not detailed their choice of UK carbon budget, read between the lines and it is clear they see this fair Isle receives a disproportionately large slice of the global carbon pie. Such colonialism is then exacerbated by passing a significant burden for reducing today’s emissions onto our children – and subsequently their children. These future generations will need to invent and deploy planetary-scale technologies to suck 100s of billions of tonnes of ‘our’ emissions out of the atmosphere.

“This generational transfer of responsibility enables the CCC to maintain a thriving aviation sector and leave unquestioned the huge inequality in who is responsible for most of UK emissions. What’s not to like – business as usual, albeit with a sizeable green twist, and influential high-emitting groups left unencumbered by policies tailored towards their carbon-intensive lifestyles. More disturbing still, clever use of the CCC’s report will see it used to support Heathrow expansion, shale gas developed and even ongoing offshore oil and gas exploration.

“So what if the UK were to make its ‘fair’ contribution to delivering on the Paris commitments, and without reliance on speculative ‘negative emission technologies’? The CCC would then need to recommend immediate reductions in carbon emissions of over 10% each year, delivering zero carbon energy some fifteen years before their 2050 date. Such an agenda would have profound implications for the dominant economic framing of society – with the simple maths of carbon budgets and timing of emissions putting equity at heart of the debate. Paris demands we do things differently. The time is long passed for ‘greening’ the current system!”

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and there are more comments at

https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-the-net-zero-report/

expert reaction to the net zero report

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