Warning to navigators: IPCC report on climate change mitigation

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of climate change plans and strategies, global emissions have accelerated over the last decade. *If the present trends continue, temperatures will have risen between 3.7 and 4.3ºC by the end of the century. *To stabilise temperatures at 2ºC, emissions must be reduced between 40 and 70% by 2050 and have dropped to almost zero in 2100. This will imply a radical change at technological and institutional level; it will also mean an important transformation in lifestyles. *Fortunately, there are several stabilising options which are technically viable and economically assumable. *Nevertheless, it is important that investments are materialised in the coming decades (2010-2030) to avoid having to use technologies to capture emissions in the atmosphere (negative emissions) that would entail higher costs and greater risks. *International cooperation and the search for fair agreements are essential for making progress with and maintaining mitigation efforts.