All countries will have to contribute their fair share in cutting global emissions, says Oxfam in reaction to the IPCC report on mitigation, which was launched today. Governments must take this report to guide their negotiations for a new climate treaty to be adopted in 2015 in Paris.
Oxfam's climate expert Jan Kowalzig said: "In a warming world, countries must either hang together in climate collaboration, or they will fall apart in climate chaos. After this report there can be no doubt that every country must tackle their emissions. Emissions are rising fastest in emerging economies and in the interest of their poorest citizens on the front line of climate change, they must play a bigger role than in the past. But rich countries cannot simply pass the buck - they must do their fair share by both slashing their emissions faster and finally providing the financial support for climate action in poor countries they have promised."
Cutting emissions is vital to winning the fight against hunger. Today's landmark report shows that, while current action is far from sufficient, the worst scenarios of climate change can be avoided. The report confirms that action on climate change will have tiny impacts on the economy and brings several important co-benefits - like better air quality and improved energy access for people living in poverty.
Kowalzig said: "If we fail to act on climate change, the chance of eradicating hunger from our world may be lost forever. This report shows cutting emissions sufficiently comes at little cost, so we have no excuse for letting that happen."
The report shows that reducing emissions sufficiently requires a transformation in both the global energy and food systems.
Kowalzig said: "This report puts the fossil fuel companies and their financiers on notice: the era of fossil fuel energy is ending. We need a rapid transition to fairer and more sustainable ways of producing energy and food. Companies whose assets are being eroded by climate change, like those in the food sector, should not be spectators but should be leading this charge for a safer climate."
