Chief scientific adviser in appeal to leaders
IT is crucial that the goal to limit temperature rises to 1.5C is kept alive, Sir Patrick Vallance has warned.
Speaking at COP26, the Government’s chief scientific adviser said the goal, which aims to limit the most dangerous impacts of global warming, is not negotiable, although he acknowledged it will be very tough to meet.
His comments came after he told the BBC that climate change is a bigger problem than Covid-19 because of its overall effect on humanity, warning that “if this is not stopped, this will be a bigger, bigger challenge to the way we live and lives will be lost”.
Before the climate talks in Glasgow, Sir Patrick joined other leading scientific advisers from around the world in calling on leaders to take urgent action to limit warming to 1.5C.
A statement signed by nearly 40 chief scientists and equivalents said it is still possible to curb temperature rises to 1.5C, but only with steep reductions in global emissions by 2030 and reducing them to zero overall by 2050.
In a press conference at COP26, Sir Patrick said: “It’s crucial that the 1.5C is kept alive. I don’t think this is a negotiable thing. It has to happen.”
He pointed to announcements that have been made by countries in the 10 days at the COP26 conference so far, including on curbing methane emissions, on deforestation and funding for agricultural innovation.
“These are all important steps in the right direction. I hope we will see more over the course of this week,” he said.
“This is tough, 1.5C is really tough, it’s not an easy target.”
He said lessons can be learned from the way Covid-19 had to be dealt with, pointing out that science and innovation had to come up with solutions and humanity needed to pull together to take decisions to tackle the crisis.