Paris Agreement

This is not a climate emergency. It’s much more serious

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The ferocity, reach and duration of fires that have devastated Australian communities, bush and rural landscapes this summer should not just sound the alarm for a climate emergency, because the situation is much more serious. And Australia is “ground zero” for what is in reality a “climate crisis”. That’s the stark warning Professor Mark Howden … Read more

Tipping points push Earth towards hothouse climate

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More than half of the tipping points that could push the planet towards a Hothouse Earth and threaten human civilisation are now “active”, a group of leading scientists have warned. The scientists, including Emeritus Professor Will Steffen from The Australian National University (ANU), argue in a commentary in Nature that these nine active tipping points … Read more

Preventing climate change cheaper than dealing with its damage

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World leaders need to urgently accelerate efforts to prevent “profound, if not catastrophic” climate change in future, a distinguished group of scientists has warned. According to their new study published in Science today, acting to reduce climate change would cost much less than repairing the damage it would inflict in coming decades on people, infrastructure and ecosystems. … Read more

“Six Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” lays out integrated framework for implementing the SDGs

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change call for deep transformations in every country that require complementary actions by governments, civil society, science, and business. While significant progress is being made on some goals, no country is currently on track towards achieving all SDGs. Says Prof Sachs, “the SDGs have … Read more

Reducing carbon emissions while improving health is economically attractive

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It’s a classic policy dispute: How much should the current generation invest in reducing carbon emissions for the benefit of future generations? A study published in Nature Communications helps answer this question by quantifying whether reducing carbon emissions – which will have global benefits in the future – also improves air quality now. Preventing many of … Read more