7 July 2009 | Luca Del Buono

 

Scaling up energy efficiency, renewable energy and deforestation prevention can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short-term while next generation technologies are developed, according to a new report.

" Technology for a Low Carbon Future " predicts these policies will do more to reduce emissions in the near future when compared to other controversial remedies, such as cap-and-trade programs and carbon capture and storage technologies.

Energy efficiency, renewable energy and reducing deforestation can deliver 70 percent of the emissions cuts needed by 2020 with manageable costs, while also generating positive returns.

The analysis is part of a series of expert reports produced through the Climate Group 's " Breaking the Climate Gridlock " initiative with former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The initiative aims to foster high-level support for a post-2012 climate change treaty that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

A strong treaty will help bring the global cost of abatement down while also speeding the deployment of vital low carbon technologies, the report found. A series of United Nations negotiations is being held throughout the year in an effort to reach an agreement in Copenhagen in late 2009.

The Group of Eight (G8) leaders will meet this week in L'Aquila, Italy, to discuss climate change and other pressing issues, such as the economic crisis.

On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama will chair a meeting of top emitters to discuss progress toward the climate change treaty; reports suggest he is receptive to halting long-term temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius or lower in order to avoid the worst impacts from climate change.

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 50 percent and 85 percent below 2000 levels by 2050 in order to hold temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius or less; emissions must peak by 2020.

Beyond 2020, new technologies are needed to meet these long-term reduction goals, such as carbon capture and storage, next generation nuclear, concentrated solar power, smart grids and electric vehicles.

The report estimates there must be at least 10 full-scale power carbon capture and storage demonstration plants and eight industry demonstration plants in operation by 2015 in order for CCS to reach its full potential.

The technology can account for 20 percent of global emissions reductions by 2050; without it, the cost of abatement will be more than 70 percent higher.

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Source: WBCSD

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