Evidence is clear – global action on climate change cannot wait

Responding to the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, Nick Molho, Executive Director at the Aldersgate Group, said: “The message from the IPCC is crystal clear: climate change is happening here and now and it is caused by greenhouse gas emissions linked to human activity. Today’s report has huge implications for policy makers in terms of tackling greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the levels of climate change the world is already locked into. To keep the 1.5C target alive and adapt to a changing climate, governments around the world must provide unequivocally clear policy signals to significantly accelerate the investment that is urgently needed in ultra-low carbon infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The business and finance communities have a clear role to play too by taking on credible net zero emissions and biodiversity restoration targets and delivery plans.”

Nick Molho added: “The UK Government has a critical role to play in the coming months. On the global stage, it needs to gather maximum momentum to bring emission reduction pledges from all key emitting nations in line with the 1.5C target and look to underpin this with tangible global collaboration and initiatives in areas where cutting emissions is particularly complex. Domestically, the expected publication of the net zero strategy and the finalisation of the Environment Bill provide the Government with a unique opportunity to set out the detailed and comprehensive policy framework to unleash the low-carbon investment that is needed across the UK’s homes, industry, energy, transport and land management sectors and maximise the job creation opportunities that will come with this.”