Paris 2015: Ed Davey pushes for global climate deal

Ed Davey has insisted that economic growth and carbon reduction can go hand in hand as the Energy and Climate Secretary has set out the UK Government's vision for a legally binding global climate deal in Paris next year.


‘Paris 2015: Securing Our Prosperity Through a Global Climate Change Agreement’ is a new document released today (9 September), which argues that action on climate change is needed ‘on a coordinated global scale from every country in the world’. (Scroll down for full document).

Business costs

Commenting on the launch of the new 70-page document, Davey said: “Climate change is almost universally recognised as a serious threat to global prosperity, security and well-being.

“Extreme weather events at home and abroad already cause significant costs and disruption to UK businesses, and we are predicted to experience increasingly frequent and severe flooding and are vulnerable to predicted rise in heat waves, storms and gales, as well as rising sea levels which will cause increased encroachment on our coastal areas.

“All countries of the UNFCCC agreed in 2011 to negotiate a global legally binding agreement by 2015, to come into force by 2020. These negotiations are progressing, and will conclude at the 21st UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Paris in December 2015.

“Paris will not be the end of the road in terms of tackling climate change, but an ambitious agreement would be a huge step forward which we can then build on in the future.”

The document argues that a global deal would make tackling climate change much easier as it would give ‘a decisive political signal that the future is low carbon’, opening new markets and reducing technology costs.

Forward-thinking

The UK Government’s vision for the 2015 agreement is that it:

 

  • Delivers ambitious and fair commitments from all countries to reduce emissions 
  • Tracks progress, builds trust and facilitates increased ambition in the future 
  • Provides support to those who need it, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable to develop climate resilience 

The document has been welcomed by Mark Wilson, the chief executive of British multinational insurance company Aviva, who believes a legally binding global climate deal is ‘vital’.

“I welcome the lead the UK government is taking, not least through today’s publication,” said Wilson. “We can’t assume we have access to unlimited natural resources and that we can consume them without consequences.

“How we behave today risks leaving a terrible legacy for the future – not just for humanity as a whole, but also for long-term business success.”

Yesterday, edie reported that Prime Minister David Cameron is being urged to push for a global countdown to zero emissions ahead of his expected attendance at the New York climate summit later this month. Read more about that here.  

Download the full document – Paris 2015: Securing Our Prosperity Through a Global Climate Change Agreement – for FREE, here.

Luke Nicholls

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe