Tiempo Climate Newswatch

According to the Stern Review of climate economics, "our actions over the coming few decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, later in this century and in the next, on a scale similar to those associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th Century." Commenting on the report, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that "this disaster is not set to happen in some science fiction future many years ahead, but in our lifetime." "Investment now will pay us back many times in the future, not just environmentally but economically as well," he continued. "For every £1 invested now we can save £5, or possibly more, by acting now."

The report, which was commissioned by the British government, considers the economic impacts of future climate trends and the costs of taking action to avert the threat by reducing emissions and limiting impacts. It concludes that stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gases will cost about one per cent of annual global output by 2050. With no action, climate change will reduce global consumption per head by between five and 20 per cent by that time. Citing climate change as the greatest market failure the world has seen, the Stern Review advocates carbon pricing, policies to drive the development and deployment of low-carbon and high-efficieny technology, and action to remove barriers to energy efficiency and to foster individual responses. The report's author, Sir Nicholas Stern, considers that "the conclusions of the Review are essentially optimistic. There is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, if we act now and act internationally."

The president of Kiribati, Anote Tong, has warned Australia and New Zealand that climate change could create countless environmental refugees. "If we are talking about our island states submerging in ten years' time, we simply have to find somewhere else to go," he said. "If we become refugees, then so be it. I think the international community has to get used to it." He was speaking at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji. "Our islands are very flat, as flat as a table," said Paani Laupepa, representing Tuvalu, in an interview with Reuters. "It will be the whole population, the entire 10,000 people will be affected. We have a right to live in this environment and now we are being forced away."

Laupepa feels that Australia "has no commitment" to solving the Pacific Islanders' problems. Responding to a recent report on global warming impacts in the Pacific, Australian environment minister, Ian Campbell, has said that Australia "has always stood by our Pacific neighbours in times of need and that will never change." The focus, though, should be on helping islanders to stay in their home countries. New Zealand has announced a plan to accept up to 5000 seasonal workers from island states. "It's a foot in the door," Laupepa said. "We are very grateful. Labour mobility is an opportunity to gain something useful in life."

The United States and the European Union pledged to increase collaboration and explore areas for further work on renewable energy, clean coal and other climate-related policies during a two-day meeting in Finland. The meeting was the latest in a series of dialogues that was established at the Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the climate convention last year. Paula Dobriansky, head of the United States delegation, said that the two sides shared "very common goals and objectives" on the climate issue, adding there were "multiple" ways of achieving the results.

James Connaughton, of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, cited cleaner coal as a major area for cooperation. "Coal is one of the biggest challenges because it's the area where we need some of the most significant investments and technological applications," he said. He also called for joint standards on biofuels. "It's very important for us to come to agreement on the basic standards for those fuel grades so that manufacturers can produce vehicles and engines that can use the fuel globally."