Ambition on climate pledges will boost economies, jobs, health - new report
Thu 16 April 2015
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An analysis of International Energy Agency data by the
New Climate Institute finds that major economies would boost prosperity, jobs and health if they take the action steps needed to limit climate change to 2 degrees Celsius. The report says that Europe's pledge to cut emissions 40% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels will create 70,000 full-time jobs, prevent 6,000 pollution-related debts and result in a €33bn cut in fossil fuel imports.
The study also says that if emissions were cut further - by around 55% – those benefits would multiply to $173bn fuel savings, 420,000 full-time clean energy jobs and 46,000 lives saved.
Though the 31 March deadline has passed for developed countries to submit their climate pledges for the Paris Climate Conference later this year, few have already done so.
Japan is reported to be close to announcing that it will cut emissions by 20% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. Meanwhile, the
US is expected to pledge to cut emissions by up to 28% in 2025 (compared with 2005), doubling the pace of current emissions cuts.
California, which has the eighth largest economy in the World, has recently announced that it will be forcing the pace with a pledge to cut emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
Outside the most developed countries of the world, the effects of increased climate ambition would be even more dramatic, according to the New Climate Institute’s (NCI) analysis.
Putting China, for example, on course for a world warmed only by two degrees would save over a million lives and create almost 2m jobs – compared to the 100,000 lives and 500,000 jobs set out in its climate deal with the US.
Comparable figures in the US for a 2 Degrees C pathway would see 650,000 new jobs created and 27,000 deaths avoided.
Dr Jeremy Leggett, a climate policy expert and founder of Solar Century will be presenting his view on the prospects for the Paris Conference, and beyond, at the LowCVP Conference on 24 June. For more details about the event, click here.
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