E3G

World’s Most Wanted: Climate Change

By Chris Littlecott

Solve climate ‘whatever it costs’

John Ashton’s article was immediately reported on by BBC environment correspondent Richard Black, in an article which starts with a focus on the economic implications of climate change.

Here, he quoted John Ashton’s view that

We need to see the pursuit of a stable climate as an imperative to be secured whatever it costs through the urgent construction of a low carbon global economy, because the cost of not securing it will be far greater.“

Black then moves on to discuss the diplomatic challenge, and the complicated context of global interdependence.

He concludes with a reflection on how this will relate to John’s personal role, stating:

Mr Ashton will need all the diplomatic skills he acquired during his long Foreign Office career if he is to create a new consensus able to bring real emission cuts.
But his commitment to that end is clear in his article.
“If we fail to see this threat to security very soon for what it is and make our dispositions accordingly, we will end up paying far more and experiencing more insecurity,“ he writes.”