Statement of Bob Perciasepe
President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
October 7, 2018
On the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 C Special Report:
“Findings issued today by the world’s preeminent climate scientists urgently underscore the need to dramatically step up global action against climate change. The IPCC’s special report reinforces, with even greater certainty, what was already abundantly clear – climate change poses truly grave risks, and we can avoid the worst of them only by quickly ramping up our collective efforts. With the world’s most vulnerable already suffering disproportionately from climate impacts, we must work together to both decarbonize our economies and strengthen our climate resilience.
“The report makes clear that we need to use all the tools at hand. Even as we continue pushing as hard as we can on renewables and efficiency, we’ll need to rely heavily on other available and developing technologies, including nuclear and carbon capture, to achieve carbon neutrality. It’s not a competition – we need them all. Only through rapid innovation and deployment can we replicate in transportation and industry the encouraging progress achieved in the power sector.
“New science continues to reduce uncertainties in our understanding of the risks and challenges associated with climate change. The bottom-line imperative is already clear. We know the direction we need to go – and that we must head there as quickly as we can. Many cities, states, countries and companies are taking the lead. The IPCC’s findings lend even greater urgency to this effort as countries prepare to put forward a new round of stronger Paris commitments in 2020.”
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About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to forge practical solutions to climate change. Our mission is to advance strong policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. Learn more at www.c2es.org.