Michelangelo’s inspiration was his belief, as he put it in a poem:

 ”Whatever beauty here on earth is seen,

To meet the longing and perceptive eye,

Is semblance of that source divine,

From whence we all come.

In this alone we catch a glimpse of Heaven.”

Truly paradise is right here….

The Environment in it’s good state and splendid qualities, much like Art has an intrinsic value for human civilization and a deep value for people and other species.

For the Big Bang theorists it has the scientific value of living in the present magnificent natural process of Evolution…

And for the Creationists, It also has a religious value because it is the only way to glimpse the divine intention…

And for the Philosophers just being in the present is enough as a pleasurable environment.

Yvo finally breaks out of his crisp and gentle diplomatic shell and cries out for Climate Action…

He has seen the Light. Finally. Thanks Be…

He admits and says that : There’s no alternative. No other option but to make Copenhagen work now.

No Plan B

No Mexico, No Singapore, No number 42 , Nor belgium…  

There is No Plan B.

ACT NOW

The United Nations’ top climate official has urged countries to come to a clear and unified agreement at next month’s climate conference in Copenhagen.

Speaking 11 days before the start of the crucial talks at a press conference in Bonn, Germany, Yvo de Boer, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) executive secretary said: “The stakes are too high for tactical maneuvering. The stakes are too high for any country to be focusing on national agendas. There is no time to lose.”

De Boer called on countries in both the industrialized and developing world to clearly state in “black and white” what their emissions cuts will be by 2020. “This includes the U.S.,” de Boer said.

He welcomed the recent pledges by Brazil and South Korea to cut their emissions up to 39 percent and 30 percent respectively. But he said the onus must be on industrialized nations to give the final push towards agreement, calling for them to provide “ambitious leadership.”

In addition, De Boer said that the short and long-term finance to support mitigation and adaptation in the developing world must be clarified at the conference.

“Rich countries must put at least $10 billion on the table to kick-start immediate action up to 2012. And they must list what each country will provide and how funds will be raised to deliver very large, stable and predictable finance in the future, without having to constantly negotiate it every few years,” he said.

“Copenhagen can and must deliver an agreement that launches immediate action in developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change and put them on a clean energy path.”

De Boer also called for renewed international cooperation to preserve and sustain rainforests.

He welcomed the announcement Wednesday of President Obama’s promise to attend the Copenhagen climate talks and the US reductions of CO2 emissions as “critical to a good outcome.”

“There is no Plan B for failure at Copenhagen only Plan A, and A stands for action,” he said. “All countries must use the remaining eleven days to Copenhagen to take work forward in a spirit of cooperation and compromise.”

Like all good leaders know its the logistics behind the agreement that will make it workable.

So let us do our Project Management work and here is where most Business leaders will agree that God is in the details.

Let’s not make the same mistakes with Climate Aid that we’ve made with foreign Aid over the years and with woefully inefficient target delivery. 

This time is crucial to get it right.

China’s climate reduction policy has always been long term. Although Hu Jintao set the stage for the UN climate talks in NYC last September, there were no firm accountable numbers. They maintained that China would not set firm emissions targets until the big emitters of the west, the US and the EU  accepted their responsibilities and opted for their own commitments.

Fast on the heels of the US offer of firm emissions reductions and the announcement of Obama going to Copenhagen China announced last night that by 2020 it will cut its emissions per unit of GDP by between 40 and 45 per cent relative to 2005 levels. 

This is what’s known as carbon efficiency, and the announcement follows on president Hu Jintao’s promise in September that the country would improve carbon efficiency ”by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level”. China’s climate ambassador,Yu Qingtai, yesterday said China will not adopt fixed emissions targets at the December UN climate negotiations, reports China Daily. 

China’s State Council seems to have gone to pains to point out that not only will the target contribute to global efforts to curb global warming, it will also serve the nation’s own development. The move was “a voluntary action” taken by the Chinese government “based on our own national conditions”, says the State Council, and “is a major contribution to the global effort in tackling climate change”, according to the Chinese online news agency, Xinhua. 

“Appropriate handling of the climate change issue,” the council’s statement went on, “is of vital interest to China’s social and economic development and people’s benefits, as well as the interests of all the people in the world and the world’s long-term development.”

As the UNFCC climate negotiations kick off in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 10 days, on the 7th of December, and are scheduled to conclude on 18 December this is really good news. Recent reports have suggested that the conference might come to very little.

But it now seems there may well be firm targets on the table. All eyes are now on India, another major emitter in the developing world who in typically Indian style will come last in announcing, but with the most ambitious goal of CO2 reductions.  This game of Copenhagen is just getting warm…

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. - Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it.”

As Goethe said: Its the beginning that matters and it contains the boldness and the genius. So it is in Copenhagen and so is our participation in our common plans for Change.

We are keen to congratulate President Obama for going to Copenhagen at the beginning of the talks to set the tone and support the agenda of our changing world. He is going to be there when most other leaders will not be as they are the typically late comers to the party to reap the rewards and earn the flashbulbs of the photographers like their model wives…pose.

We don’t need poseurs – We need early risers and early participants to the discussion agenda as Obama demonstrated that he wants to be.

We need the early on leaders to participate at the beginning. No better stance has been seen on Copenhagen yet by anyone else.

Right about now all the other leaders planning to be in Copenhagen after the 12th are rearranging their schedules to go there early. A mad scramble ensues….A busy time for the schedulers of leaders, as they belatedly, realize they might miss communion – the most important part of the service.

For Copenhagen is a Mass. A service for humanity, attended by all who care and even by some who don’t… Much like your typical church service in all religions. It’s also a tribal thing. A gathering of the clans and the tribes to celebrate communion of spirit…

But the committed parishioners as you well know; go first to the service. So does Obama with a distinct seriousness and commitment to the Copenhagen proceedings and process. 

 For we know well that President Obama understands the ancient axiom:  ”Let us watch well our beginnings, and the results will manage themselves.”

Bravo and Godspeed.

—————————————————-

Unfortunately a lot of the misguided spring chicks of the Environmental movement aren’t happy with the Mass.

They complain and grumble. Maybe they are never happy…

For example: the Greenpeace  blog comments on the good news that President Obama is going to the beginning of the talks in Copenhagen… in an unsavoury way.

They don’t like the early date He’ll be showing up for the meetings.

Why?

Well my long experience with the Greeners is that they don’t ike beginnings and also after being on the defensive forever, they don’t know how to be Thankful and accept their myriad blessings.

Then again they hate accepting that the US can do something positive and be the leading edge…

Maybe they aren’t early risers…  In all my years of involvement with Green peace nobody ever woke up early. Even in the boats – crews slept late. SOP (standard operating procedure) Some people hate early rising.

As a matter of fact – I know – they hate early mornings. You get the idea…

The Greenpeace folks, feel – and here they are clearly misguided:  that ”Obama is going to be in the right city at the wrong time.”

Although President Obama will be going to the UN climate talks in person — after a lot of deliberation and after announcing firm CO2 reductions for the US, the good friends of GreenPeace feel, that: ”He is going about a week too early.”

As announced, He’s going in Copenhagen on December 9th.

He will be on his way to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on the 10th. 

But what the greeners and the rest of the world don’t know; is the way back from Oslo is open for Obama to go back to Copenhagen if need be…

How is that for intelligence. Start the process and then circle back to support it. Is good business and diplomacy sense.

Unfortunately the bloggers of  Greenpeace and many others easily excited; in the Environmental movement feel thus and say: ”that the Copenhagen climate summit is not a mere photo-opportunity, but unfortunately that seems to be how Obama is treating it. The talks are aimed at getting a fair, ambitious, and binding global agreement to stop global warming. President Obama needs to be there at the same time as all the other wold leaders, on December 18. This is the last day of the negotiations, when all the heads of state show up, are presented with the agreements achieved so far by their delegates, and do the high-level negotiations that lead to a final agreement.”

We disagree strongly: It is the other leaders going there late (or at least that’s how they had planned it before this) that are going there for a photo opportunity. Much like the Divas arriving late to the party. See and be seen – but no serious work done there.

Other Greeners say with the force of  youth and inexperience: ”Obama needs to be there on December 18 to ensure we get the right agreement. Once again, Obama is going to be in the right city on the wrong date.  Given the shamefully weak emissions targets Obama’s administration is going to announce ahead of the climate change talks, it almost seems like he’s just not even taking this issue seriously.” 

Duhhh…. Dudes wake up.  It’s a beginning. A good beginning.

Going early is what matters. It’s a freaking barn raising. The early birds get to do the heavy lifting.

No deal is made at the end.

You make bread make sure the dough is risen or else you end up with pancakes and nothing you can do at the end will change that. Capice?

My friends at Greenpeace: I must say now, with respect…

You are wrong and you have missed the issues by a huge & wide mark here. Please lay off the green stuff – I know in Copenhagen is permitted but the green brain mash isn’t smart.

Obama going early is the best thing that could have happen to us in Copenhagen.

Maybe You should rearrange your tickets now, to be there earlier too – same as many others lagging behind hoping to catch the big party at the end…

Don’t be a laggard. Encourage the global leaders to be there. 

Be there Early and participate. Set the tone and raise the bar… 

SET YOUR SIGHTS HIGH FOR COPENHAGEN

You can even vote here:

Vote for your leader,  calling on world leaders to go to the Copenhagen and influence the outcome positively: Vote for the climate summit global leaders and reward by voting, those who make a difference.

http://www.environmentalparliament.org/ep_global_leader_award_2009

The leaders with the supreme conduct and the greatest influence on their environment work and with most votes will receive the Environmental Parliament 2009 Global Leader award.

NETWORK IT  -  SHARE IT —  LINK IT — BLOG IT  —-  SUPPORT   COP15  —–  JOIN US 

http://www.environmentalparliament.org/ep_global_leader_award_2009

Of course many heads of state, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, have already committed to going. But they are all going to the end. Now they scramble for new tickets and accommodations to be there early on.

THANKS TO OBAMA FOR WAKING THEM ALL UP.

THE EARLY BIRD TAKES THE WORM….

But there are a few stragglers named in the petition, including Obama, who have yet to commit to really attending the talks in person in order to ensure an ambitious deal gets signed.
The COP15 conference naturally starts on December 7th. 

It is my opinion and the EP stance that our lobby in Washington focused on working with the Administration, that Obama should be there in the beginning of the Copenhagen talks.

Always has been the imperative of any new effort, expedition, diplomatic and conciliatory politics to start well with the best of intentions and the strongest presence and then let the diplomats thrash out the details.

For that we applaud President Obama and his leadership at the start of the most important negotiations known to man this far in our civilization’s advancement.

Well done Man.

Now you can RSS feed and follow this blog for updates on how the climate talks are going in Copenhagen! After all: 

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Yours,

Pano

PS: And if you wanna see the boldness of Obama starting the ball rolling – here comes China too: Hu Jintao hard on the heels of the US offer of firm emissions reductions, announced last night that by 2020 China will cut its emissions per unit of GDP by between 40 and 45 per cent relative to 2005 levels.

After Obama announced the drastic US CO2 emissions reductions, all global players started moving away from their intransigent conservative positions.

Copenhagen is in play like never before…

The European Union will back substantial emission reduction targets to leverage sufficient commitments and funding that would guarantee a comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen, according to the EU  Environment Council.

The E.U. has been actively working on an ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding international climate agreement that will help prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels of more than 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures according to the same body.

Member states maintained that the goal to lower emissions by 30 percent on 1990 levels should be upheld over the near- and long-term.

The 27-nation Union has committed to reducing emissions by this much; if other industrialized countries adopt the same targets and developing countries, pitch in what they can afford without jeopardizing growth.

At the minimum, the E.U. aims to cut down its by 20 percent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels. It also aims to reduce emissions by 80 percent to 95 percent by 2050.

“The E.U. will push for a comprehensive agreement involving all countries,” Andreas Carlgren, environment minister said.

“For the E.U., Copenhagen is not ‘a step,’ it is the step, it is the milestone in the work on climate change,” he emphasized.

The council met in Brussels for a final review of strategies as the climate change summit from December 7 to 18 draws nearer. Yvo de Boer, United Nation’s climate change chief, briefed the council on the current state of the negotiations during the meeting.

Mr. Carlgren said Copenhagen must serve as the starting point for worldwide action against climate change causes such as deforestation, and that funding to support this should be made available immediately.

“All parties must present sufficient offers on emissions reductions and financing. This applies to both industrialized countries such as the United States and rapidly growing economies such as China,” he stressed. 

Now this was announced already and it doesn’t constitute news…

There is EU bureaucracy for You.

But even as old news the CO2 reductions committed to by the EU and it’s member countries;  are dwarfed by what the US committed to emissions reductions and CO2 cuts as announced by Obama…today.

And is even dwarfed by what Hu Jintao claimed… for serious greenhouse gases reductions for China.

So we await for something far more substantial from the EU environment Council in the next few days before Copenhagen.

Meanwhile Happy Thanksgiving to all – Friends and foes alike

Copenhagen is coming up…

Economics and the Climate crisis coupled along with the current leadership crisis has affected all of us adversely.

We have dealt with it, one way or another.

Some of us cope better than others…

But the important thing is to keep your spirits high and not give up. Maybe now more than ever since the Great Depression in the 1930s or even the great war.

We have bigger fish to fry.

Lets put things into perspective and don’t forget that it seems things may start improving, slowly, but still gradually improving, from now on.

 No matter what happens you must never give up but keep on trying until you succeed. If not, you are doomed. You must build new bridges and move on. And that’s simply not possible if you start feeling sorry for yourself. Be strong, positive, innovative and courageous and it’s just a question of how long it takes before you achieve what you are aiming for.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t expect results overnight.  Sometimes it is as if life is testing you to see if you really have what it takes to succeed. If you give up whenever there’s a set-back you will never succeed. And set-backs there will be, no matter what you try to achieve. It’s just a question of constantly finding solutions.

Copenhagen isn’t built in a day either…

Yes, working hard almost like a dyslexic monofocus type person, is boring – I know.

But what’s the alternative? Everybody would like plain sailing  and free rides….

But things are never as easy as they seem, unfortunately.

All of those overnight success stories you see are ten years in the making.

So you have to have faith in yourself and your ability to succeed. If you don’t have, why should anybody else?

Nothing is impossible, the impossible only takes longer, as Churchill said. Now is the time for you to aim for the impossible. Because what’s worthwhile many times seem impossible until you have succeeded. What’s the point in aiming for something you are not passionate about? If you are not really determined to get what you aim for you will never succeed anyway but give up at the smallest adversity. And in times like these when things are really changing the odds of going for the impossible and succeed are even higher.

So set your goal, make a plan and start taking action to get there step by step. And be flexible since once you know what you want you will find new ways that will be milestones on your road to success.

Whenever I really want something I always succeed. It’s just a question of how long it takes. Sometimes I even succeed way beyond expectations.  So I make up my mind I am going to do that. Little do I think of alternatives. Not once do I think that I could fail…

Yes – Had to pick myself up by the collar sometimes…

Had to tend to wounds, recover and dust myself up…

minutes before I was back on the trail of my goals.

And then I achieve the most miraculous success ever. Every time greater heights I scale and  fly further away…

Most of the time accomplished journeys that deep down didn’t even think were possible.

So follow the path of your heart.

Think big – aim for the stars!

It doesn’t matter if it’s for your company, for your job, your career or whatever.

Set your goals high.

What’s the point in using up the energy it takes to just achieve something mediocre?

Dare, try, take a risk, learn and be determined. And don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Keep your goals to yourself and just do it. When the road turns, turn or you will end up by the side of the road.

Broadcasting what you are going to do to all and sundry isn’t always a good idea. Not least since some will try to talk you out of it.

What do you think people would have told Obama a few years ago if he had told them he was going to be the President of the United States?

Maybe buy him another drink? 

Instead – He asked for campaign contributions… 

All those campaign contributions were mostly about the price of a drink.

And these drink value contributions start coming through the mail.

And then through the Internet…

Coming from near and far and from an excited people lusting for Change…

I hope now that i have set my goal sights high enough.

And in the Environmental Parliament together we lobbied Washington and here is what we first told You here:

Obama is coming to Copenhagen and is bringing with him the US 

Really like in the old black and white cowboy movies…

the cavalry is coming to save Copenhagen.

And with huge savings in emissions of US energy and industry pronounced clearly.

Yes we can.

So,  Let’s not drag our feet in Copenhagen

Let’s go for the Gold.

“Managing the Unavoidable: investment implications of a changing climate”, is a new report, that summarises findings from a project launched in January 2009 to identify how companies and their investors are likely to be affected by the physical impacts of climate change.

The report, produced by Henderson Global Investors, Insight Investment and the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), with specialist input from the consultant Acclimatise, builds on data from four sector reports, covering electric utilities, water utilities, real estate, oil and gas and calls on investors to ensure that companies have clear strategies for responding to climate change

Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, added in a foreword to the report, “In outlining the risks that inevitable climate change poses for companies, this report encourages investors to examine adaptation-related risks in their portfolios and use their influence to encourage companies to manage these risks more effectively.”  Also commenting on the report, David Russell, Co Head of Responsible Investment at USS, observed that, “most companies see climate change primarily in terms of downside risk management. However, from an investment perspective, climate change may also present opportunities.”

At present companies are still adopting a wait-and-see attitude in the hope of a definitive public policy response now looking unlikely to result at the Copenhagen summit.  The report therefore urges investors to play a much more proactive role in public policy debates on adaptation to the effects of climate change.

The new report suggests that companies and investors are clearly failing to take into account the strategic implications of incremental climate change, and therefore are missing the new rewarding investment opportunities. 

The report reveals that most companies are paying due attention to the affects of extreme weather on their business assets, for example where major flood risk results, but the effects of climate change on operational costs have to date been largely overlooked and aren’t  really estimated to be on the business sights in the near future either.

Climate Change as always takes second seat to short term profits.

The vagaries of short-termism  and it’s resulting blindness isn’t confined to those banker-wankers but is rampant in the regular middle mangement of all companies.

Maybe it is this frozen middle we need to thaw before corporations accept the reality of global warming as the greatest threat for business as usual.

”Let’s drag our feet,”  

Isn’t an option any more.

 

What is there that we are fighting for?

Climate activists are the lot fighting for justice today in the western world.

There is a long tradition of civil disobedience and activism that colours the Green movement.

It is a Gandhian tradition in so much that it is simple, and  really peaceful.

Simple in its advocasy aims and  peaceful in its delivery of policy.

No other movement has been as long-standing in defence of people and nature.

If equity and justice were to bring about the acceptance of the changing economies and people’s liberation – then the Green movement is the precursor of rapid change.

There is now a tipping point in the hearts and minds of people, that has now been crossed. And that is the energy needs.

For example: Clearly stated, no matter what invention of CSS in the near term – No new plants of coal generated electricity will be built in the UK .

No matter what government carries the May ballots.

That’s a fact.

Then in the European Union, we have a new President and is highly unlikely that new coal plants will be approved anywhere else within the union either. Veracity of claims about clean coal haven’t been forthcoming – so you can count coal’s prospects as sunk.

In the US, Dr Chu of the Energy department identified coal as the greatest enemy of our future. That along with the EPA’s regulation of CO2 as a toxic gas we will enjoy the protection of the strongest Clean Air legislation in the world.

Obama tomorrow will announce the strict US emissions reductions for CO2 as a prelude to Copenhagen.

These are momentous events that happened because of the Green movement and the scientific support behind it.

That’s what we’ve been fighting for.

For those of you who are long term investors – remember this moment.

This is the time that we shifted.

The energy glut that killed fossil fuels is commencing now…

We aren’t waiting for any peak oil or whatever crisis of fossil fuels to act.

We will leave the legacy oil and gas for the earth to lubricate itself….

We’ll let the coal be in the ground as the perfect store of CO2 that nature devised.

We aren’t running out of oil anytime soon – nor out of coal or gas or diamonds for that matter.

The oil companies and the OPEC are running the best PR hack shops for false scarcity of fossil fuels.

Campaigns so succesful that even foolish governments believe the scarcity scare and led their people to war over it.

Fossil energy resource wars defined the recent age of stupidity – still some are scaring us today…

De Beers has been running for a century such a false scarcity campaign to convince us that diamonds are scarce and therefore properly expensive.

Ask any star struck girl about it and see her fiance subsume his belief to the fashion of paying thousands for a rock of shinny carbon.

Oil energy companies and the coal and gas lobby just do this all day.

We aren’t running out of coal nor its byproduct diamonds anytime soon…

We didn’t get out of the Stone age because we run out of rocks.

Nor did we stop the whaling oil industry because we were running out of whales…

Better energies emerge.  We don’t need to protect the oil industry anymore than we had to protect the typewriter companies when the Persona computer evolved and replaced them.

Better yet we didn’t evolve into the Personal Computer revolution because we run out of typewriters.

So as we are moving out of the fossil fuel energy field and our investments in renewables are growing in value and performance.  Let’s remember that.

All we are fighting for  is the value of our long-term investments.

Our permanent investments that we pass from generation to generation through the natural services of our Ecosystem.

We are all shareholders here – so are our children and equally the rest of you.

Let’s show our activism to carry the day.

Good governance is the result of Investor activism and  proper Environmental oversight.

This is what the Environmental Parliament’s mission is.

Now and forever…

Obama rocks – Hillary creates policy for Hopenhagen.

Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State created the Policy for Copenhagen lifting the hope of all the parties involved in the COP15 negotiations. Obama will announce his participation in Copenhagen and the clear goals in the next two days.

Hopes of a successful result at the international climate summit next month in Copenhagen have been universally lifted as the United States confirms that the Obama administration will join the talks with a clear emissions target.  US Government officials made the declaration yesterday that Obama will confirm firstly the US national reduction targets but also, crucially, whether the President will himself attend the climate negotiations.

As the news travels around the world, hopes are raised that a concrete plan can be agreed for future action to cut global emissions.  More than 60 global leaders, presidents and prime ministers, have already stated their intention to attend the talks.  The latest, Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, stated yesterday that he hoped the summit can reach a non-binding political agreement, more of a pathway to a legal commitment later on next year.

As yet the leaders from some of the world’s top polluting countries, India and China, have not confirmed their attendance.  Løkke Rasmussen, the host and chairman of the climate talks, commented on the growing momentum that “heads of state and government are ready to fly in, realising that the political momentum is pointing towards Copenhagen as the place … to address the outstanding issues so we can conclude an ambitious deal.  The active involvement of heads of state and government is crucial.”

Hillary Clinton is widely credited for creating the policy of  the engagement of the other nations in Copenhagen and motivating the administration to set firm targets to win the Hopenhagen game….

Yours,

PS: The US lesson in diplomacy comes from the Chinese stance on emission reductions but is taking the game to a new level. Now that Obama and Hillary have set the firm targets, the Chinese premiere will have to do the same and will be followed by the Indian Premier… 

We’ll let you know tomorrow the exact targets of Obama.

Well Done.

The Global Carbon Project has released figures highlighting the difficulty we face in curbing emissions to limit global warming.  Between 2000 and 2008 global carbon emissions rose by 29%.  All of that growth came in developing countries, although a quarter of this was as a result of the production of goods for consumption in developed nations.

With next month’s Copenhagen climate summit negotiations looking increasingly tense, these figures put greater focus and urgency on achieving a balance between developed and developing country emission reduction targets.  In a statement to BBC News Corinne Le Quere, lead author of the study published in Nature Geoscience, said that Copenhagen will be “our last chance to stabilise at 2C in a smooth and organised way”.  If negotiations do not produce a new global deal to reduce emissions we will no longer be on course for 2 or 3C global warming, but 5 or 6C.

The Global Carbon Project study reveals a significant and politically important difference between the emissions produced directly within a country and those produced through the consumption of goods and services within that country. In developed nations, the latter far exceeds the former.  Alongside this the overall trend of emissions per capita is increasing, with current emissions from consumption of goods and services at 1.3 tonnes per capita up from 1.1 tonnes a decade ago.

Richard Betts of the UK Met Office did caution the longer term analysis of global temperature rise, though went on to state that “if we want to be staying below 2C then it’s true to say we’ve only got a few years to curb emissions. If we continue to let emissions rise without mitigation, there’s a strong chance we’ll hit 4C and beyond.