Climate

One in a series of papers examining in more detail some of the issues raised in the Greenprint [PDF] -- WWF’s conservation agenda for the new administration. The paper, originally released in January 2009) also is available as a PDF file [PDF]

The Challenge

Human communities and ecosystems throughout the world are already experiencing the impacts of climate change.  Many of these impacts, such as dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice, are much greater and occurring much more rapidly than climate scientists had predicted.  Recognizing these growing human and natural impacts, WWF’s overall climate goal is to limit the increase in global average temperature from pre-industrial levels to well below 2°C through an equitable global effort-sharing agreement. While a 2°C target will not eliminate damages to the world’s poorest people and most fragile ecosystems, it lowers the probability of large scale species extinctions, catastrophic reductions in water resources in some of the most populous regions of the world, or increasingly rapid disintegration of ice sheets resulting in devastating increases in sea level.

Achieving this target remains within reach without serious damage to the global economy if the world acts soon and with ambition.  In fact, with careful planning and implementation, policies to address climate change through increased energy efficiency and the development and deployment of renewable energy can lay the foundation for a new green global economy, help reverse the current economic downturn in the United States, and contribute to reductions in poverty worldwide.  Moreover, investment in solutions to climate change will improve resilience to fossil fuel price shocks and also avert much greater ecological and economic damage caused by the future impacts of unmitigated climate change.

The Solution

To meet these goals, we must transform the US and global economies to be both low-carbon and climate-resilient.  This will require that we establish a price for carbon emissions that reflects their true costs, while also employing a full package of policies and measures to transition the global economy to low-carbon intensity.  This is not an “either/or” proposition; we must do both. Creating a clear carbon price signal will help repair global energy markets and ensure that market forces are being tapped to help solve the climate crisis rather than make it worse.  At the same time, we must stimulate this new market through complementary regulations, mandates, and public investments in energy efficiency and low-carbon sustainable energy sources.

Importantly, we should remember that the climate crisis is global in both cause and impact.  To limit warming to well below 2°C and address growing climate-related impacts, a new global climate agreement must be reached.  This will require renewed, vigorous leadership by the United States under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

There are several key areas where U.S. policy should be reshaped, both domestically and internationally, to ensure we lead the world towards a safe, sustainable future. We should:

• Establish a price for carbon by adopting an ambitious 2020 emissions reduction target
• Make investments and adopt policies to stimulate a green economy
• Lead the world toward an effective and equitable global climate agreement
• Support efforts to stop emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries
• Contribute to global financing mechanisms for climate mitigation and adaptation in the developing world
• Ensure that climate change-related impacts are addressed under the Endangered Species Act
• Improve science and information to prepare communities and ecosystems for unavoidable climate change
• Build public support for sustained action to fight climate change

Conclusions 

The greatest hope for a fair and effective response to climate change is a new global climate agreement.  Currently, much attention is rightly paid to establishing a cap-and-trade program domestically, but it is vital that the Congress and the administration place clear energy and financial commitments into supporting a new climate treaty while thinking very broadly about how to integrate climate-friendly policies into all aspects of governing, starting with an economic stimulus package centered on renewable energy, energy efficiency improvements and green infrastructure.

Last updated January 2009.