January 2004

Climate Change is Everyone's Business

COP9 Meeting in Milan

Environment Minister Elliot Morley recently launched Defra's "Global Atmosphere Research Programme Annual Report 2002-2003" at the COP9 meeting in Milan. The report shows that global temperatures have reached unprecedented levels in recent years and greenhouse gases are at the highest background levels in the atmosphere on record.

The report also shows that stabilisation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous climate change could be harder to achieve as positive feedbacks in the carbon cycle accelerate the warming. Much larger cuts in greenhouse gas emissions would then be required than previously predicted.

The key findings of the report are:

Global temperatures have continued to rise, with 2002 joining 1998 in the top 2 hottest years on record
The Hadley Centre's ground-breaking carbon-climate model shows that carbon cycle feedbacks from forests and natural vegetation could strongly accelerate global warming in the future
Measurements have shown that atmospheric concentrations of many greenhouse gases reached their highest ever levels in 2002
Natural Factors fail to explain the rise in global temperature in the latter half of the 20th Century; indeed new evidence indicates that increasing greenhouse gas levels are largely responsible to human activities
Climate change scenarios - the most detailed ever produced for the UK suggest a future of hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters
Action being taken in the UK could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 23% below 1990 levels by 2010, more than required to fulfil the UK's Kyoto target
The ozone hole nearly reached an all-time record size in September 2003, but action to limit emissions of ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol should ensure recovery of the ozone layer within the next fifty years.

Governments and businesses worldwide recognise the damaging effects of climate change and the need to speed up the introduction of positive alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels and the creation of greenhouse gas emissions.

The UK Energy Bill, released in November 2003, paves the way for the quicker delivery of wind and other renewable energy developments in the UK. Other countries, such as Germany, Denmark and Spain lead the way in wind turbine manufacture and use; hence UK manufacturing needs to take opportunities within this growing market place.

If you are interested in attending the fourth annual conference on Climate Change at the NEC Birmingham between 30 March and 1 April 2004 please have a look at the conference brochure.

For more information on renewable energy and environmental technology solutions please contact Tony McNally or visit the Climate Change conference website .