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Environment

Delaying Emissions Cuts Has High Costs

by Cheryl Hogue
November 11, 2013 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 91, Issue 45

Without significant action during the next six years, nations will face steep and expensive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to restrict human-caused climate change to internationally agreed-on levels, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Governments in 2009 agreed to restrain climate change due to human activities to a 2 °C rise over preindustrial levels by the end of the century (see page 23). Countries could still reach this target even if they postpone emissions control action until after 2020, says a UNEP report released last week. But compensating for such delays would involve significantly higher costs, deep reductions in future emissions, and an increased risk of overshooting the 2 °C target, the report says. Delaying emissions cuts by a few years will foster continuation of current investment patterns, which could lock in carbon-intensive fossil-fuel infrastructure for decades. “This lock-in would slow down the introduction of climate-friendly technologies and narrow the developmental choices that would place the global community on the path to a sustainable, green future,” explains UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

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