E3G

IHT: Europe must move on global warming

By Quentin de Molliens

The International Herald Tribune carries an article looking at the draft of the European Commission’s Green Paper “Adapting to Climate Change in Europe - Options for EU Action”.

The article reports that the draft is mainly focused on European government’s responsibilities to take real actions to curb global warming. It highlights how economic and social systems could be affected if nothing is done.

Indeed, the report examines the EU’s approach to adaptation to a changing climate. It underlines that the need to adapt could provoke significant changes in the EU’s global policies.

In addition, the report explores new climate challenges for EU. It says that taking actions to tackle climate change could be a real opportunity for European governments to provide leadership.

The article features the comments of E3G Founding Director Tom Burke; who stated:

What we are seeing now are the early signs of climate change as a result of the emissions produced in the 1960s and 1970s...There is a 40 year lag between carbon entering the atmosphere and its effects starting to show.”

Speaking about the Green Paper, Tom added:

[This] is a wake-up call, and what is tricky about this is that we are going to have to spend billions preparing and adapting, and that is going to compete for money to stop climate change getting worse.”