Quality of Life and Public Management by Whitelegg John;

Author:Whitelegg, John; [John Whitelegg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1047037
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Climate change and resilience

The documentation and debate on climate change is very large and will not be repeated here. Serious scientific analysis and policy debate (Ekman et al., 2009) are clear that: (a) climate change is real and poses very serious threats to human and ecological systems; (b) business as usual is not an option; and (c) intensified efforts to deal with mitigation (reducing greenhouse gases, GHGs) are urgently needed. Ekman et al. (2009) recommend a global 90 per cent reduction in GHGs from a 1990 base by 2050 and a 100 per cent reduction in domestic emissions from so-called ‘Annexe 1 countries’ (including the UK) ‘to be achieved entirely by domestic at-source reductions in order to ensure the transition to a carbon-free energy path’. The State of Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany has adopted a 90 per cent reduction target in GHGs, demonstrating that scientific analysis can be translated into determined public policy implementation.

Rockstrom et al. (2009) identify nine ‘planetary boundaries’ within which humanity can safely operate. Three of these have already been transgressed:

climate change;

loss of biodiversity;

changes to the global nitrogen cycle.

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