Dear minister,
You can’t say you’re in favor of the 2 degrees target and at the same time refuse to take adequate action on short, mid and long term mitigation. That just doesn’t work.
Isn’t it time you admit that we simply need to phase out fossil fuels from our
energy system, completely? Could Paris be that moment? “Dear fossil fuel industry, it’s over.” Try that! Feels good.
Doing the math with the IPCC carbon budgets for both 2 and 1.5 degrees warming clearly show that we must get carbon emissions to zero by 2050. In reality, that means phasing out fossil fuels completely – which is what the Catholic Bishops called for yesterday, along with a transition to 100% renewable energy.
Getting there in time means taking action now. Here in Lima you need to agree to:
• Take more pre-2020 action, because doing it later would be harder and more costly.
• 5-year commitment periods to increase ambition in 2025 so as to avoid locking in low targets for 15 years.
• Zero carbon by 2050 as the clearest expression of the existing temperature goal.
• Provide sufficient means of implementation so that developing countries can leapfrog to provide access to clean, renewable energy for all.
