Reduce greenhouse gases now
On the occasion of the climate summit in Kyoto on December 3rd, 1997, the German government's Scientific Advisory Council on Global Environmental Change handed over its recommendations to Environment Minister Angela Merkel. The special report calls for a gradual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by industrialized and emerging countries. In the special report published today, the Advisory Council of the Federal Government (WBGU) reaffirms its call for a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by one percent per year. Expressed in figures, the model – based on the base year 1990 – envisages an emission reduction of eleven percent by 2005, by 23 percent by 2010 and by 43 percent by 2020. In the long term, the report calls for western industrialized countries and eastern transition states to reduce emissions by 77 percent by 2050. This could stabilize the global average temperature to 16.5 degrees Celsius. If the funding is fulfilled, this means a temperature increase of 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade that is still tolerable - starting from the current 15.5 degrees Celsius. The WBGU thus defines a "tolerable corridor" for climate change on the basis of economically and socially feasible goals. The scientists propose three primary measures to save energy: On the one hand, the WBGU calls for greater efficiency in the use of energy, for example far-reaching thermal insulation, increases in the efficiency of power plants and more economical fuel consumption by vehicles. Furthermore, the report envisages a planned transition to renewable forms of energy, keywords here are solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants as well as the use of geothermal energy and biological energy sources. As a third point, the climate experts urge a more environmentally conscious lifestyle with less mobility. The contradiction between the desire for climate protection on the one hand and increased prosperity on the other is not sustainable in the long run. © DeutschlandRadio
