Experts to trace the most viable ways to reduce emissions

Different researchers from those 15 nations that release more greenhouse gases, deliver to UN suggestions on the best ways to contribute in order to establish global warming to 2 °C.

To reduce the impacts of climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is a difficult task, but it is far from impossible.

“The solutions are not as complex as finding a Higgs particle; developing the human genome project or taking man into the moon and bringing him back home safety. What we need to do is quite important, but it is not something absurd. They are right in front of us and we are not investing enough yet”, summarised Mr Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

The SDSN just delivered to the UN a full report of the Deep Decarbonisation Pathways Projects – DDPP – the first initiative for global cooperation in order to trace solutions for reducing the release of greenhouse gases.

“DDPP is an effort to demonstrate how the countries can contribute to keep rising temperatures in a maximum of 2°C. Ambitious national actions are critical to avoid the dangers of climate change. Such report shows how possible it is”, said Mr Ban Ki-moon, the UN General Secretary.

The report is the work of 15 researchers team, thus representing the 15 nations that emit more GHGs in the world: South Africa, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, the United States, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, UK and Russia. In this preliminary version, the information about Germany, Brazil and India are not yet available.

In general, three pillars guide the actions required in all countries:

• Increased efficiency and accountability in energy consumption;

• Electricity sector decarbonisation, with investments in renewable and nuclear sources and carbon sequestration technologies;

• Development of biofuels, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells and other technologies that reduce emissions from transportation sector.

Although such report has these three topics in common, it highlights that every nation has different characteristics, thus demanding different priorities.

For example, in China, which is a highly industrial country (dependent on coal), one of the most efficient ways is the modernisation of factories and the implementation of technologies of carbon capture and storage (CCS).

In Indonesia, a country whose emissions come mainly from deforestation and forest fires, a better management of land use would be ideal. The researchers point out that there are degraded/abandoned land that could be used for economic activities or planting crops for biofuels areas. That would take the pressure on forests.

“Such report is about feasible actions. Success will be difficult, the changes will be huge, but it´s entirely possible. We do need to work accordingly to our security and for future generations. We must invest in low-carbon technologies that would make a difference”, concluded Mr Sachs.