Fight against climate change: UN hands out dismal report card
The world's efforts at addressing climate change were handed a dismal assessment of "little or no progress" in a United Nations (UN) report launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit. But it's not...
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The world's efforts at addressing climate change were handed a dismal assessment of "little or no progress" in a United Nations (UN) report launched on the eve of the Rio+20 Summit.
The 5th edition of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), assessed 90 of the most important environmental goals and objectives in the world. It found that 24 of them--or more than a quarter--have registered little or no progress.
Asia-Pacific--often described as the global engine of economic growth--is expected to contribute approximately 45 percent of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and an estimated 60 percent by 2100.
"If current trends continue, if current patterns of production and consumption of natural resources prevail and cannot be reversed and 'decoupled', then governments will preside over unprecedented levels of damage and degradation," said UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
This is despite the slew of internationally-agreed goals and objectives, numbering more than 500, which have been put in place to support the sustainable management of the environment.
Light at the end of the tunnel
But it's not all bad news. The report said meeting an ambitious set of sustainability targets by the middle of the century is possible if current policies and strategies are changed and strengthened. It gave many examples of such successful initiatives, including public investment, green accounting, sustainable trade, the establishment of new markets, technological innovation and capacity building.
The GEO-5 report also pointed out that where international treaties and agreements tackled goals with specific, measurable targets--such as the bans on ozone-depleting substances and lead in petrol--they have demonstrated considerable success. For this reason, the GEO-5 report calls for more specific targets with quantifiable results across a broader range of environmental challenges.
"GEO-5 reminds world leaders and nations meeting at Rio+20 why a decisive and defining transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient, job-generating Green Economy is urgently needed," said Steiner. "The scientific evidence, built over decades, is overwhelming and leaves little room for doubt.
"The moment has come to put away the paralysis of indecision, acknowledge the facts and face up to the common humanity that unites all peoples," he added. "Rio+20 is a moment to turn sustainable development from aspiration and patchy implementation into a genuine path to progress and prosperity for this and the next generations to come."
This article was originally published by the United Nations Energy Programme (UNEP). The full GEO-5 report can be downloaded here.