The industry has welcomed the COP 21 Paris climate change agreement, which commits 196 nations to drive down carbon dioxide emissions to limit global warming to “well below” 2 deg C from pre-industrial times and maybe as low as 1.5 deg C.
The agreement, which also requires all countries to publish plans to deal with global warming, was hailed by international leaders as a turning point after 23 years of effort to make this century the last to be powered by fossil fuels.
Energy and climate change secretary Amber Rudd has said that the UK is “absolutely committed” to the Paris climate deal and will be “making sure we deliver on it”.
Julia Evans, chief executive of BSRIA, said: “The achievement of this broadly based agreement is a step forward in the drive towards climate control, however, if businesses within the industry are expected to pick up the financial tab, we now need government to set the direction to allow industry to play its part in leading this vital global challenge.
Julia Evans: “scepticism”
“Recent government announcements have identified a shrinking investment in renewables. Indeed, there is mounting political scepticism about the UK’s own commitment to standing behind these words, as a result of a series of policy U-turns on climate change by the government – most of them in the built environment.”
Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general, also said that the government needed to do more to create the environment where businesses could invest in low-carbon technologies. She said: “Businesses will want to see domestic policies that demonstrate commitment to this goal and none more so than in the UK.
“While the UK is making its voice heard at global talks, more needs to be done at home. The government must provide a stable environment that enables investment in cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy generation, including renewable technologies and new gas plants.
“As other nations start to play a greater role and increase their ambition, the UK needs a level playing field for carbon costs, so that our energy-intensive industries can compete effectively in a global, low-carbon marketplace.”
Achieving 1.5 deg C, or even 2 deg C, is likely to be extremely challenging given the world has already seen warming of nearly 1 deg C above industrial levels and will involve a rapid scale up of low carbon technologies
The agreement commits signatories to take stock of their collection action and how it’s measuring up against the long-term targets every five years. Nearly 190 countries have already submitted their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) since March, which set out how they plan to reduce emissions and adapt to rising temperatures.
But according to the BusinessGreen website, the current INDC pledges are still expected to deliver warming of as much as 2.7 deg C. It says that the first “stock take” talks are scheduled for 2018.
The Paris agreement also backs the concept of “carbon markets”, whereby countries could deliver on their carbon targets through market mechanisms and the trading of emissions allowances.
