29 Apr 2007 - Background:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) was established by the United Nations
Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988
to assess the scientific, technical and
socio-economic information relevant for
the understanding of climate change.
The IPCC has so far issued two of three
working group reports of its Fourth Assessment
Report. On February 2, it released a report
on the underlying science of climate change
in Paris. On April 6, its second report
looked at the consequences for ecological
systems, socio-economic sectors and human
health.
It has been six years since the last assessment
report and according to the IPCC’s Working
Group I and II, people are the primarily
responsible for the build up of greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, which causes global
climate change.
The report of Working Group III, to be
released in Bangkok on 4 May 2007, will
look at measures to reduce emissions and
ways the world can adapt to stave off the
unavoidable impacts of climate change.
Key Issues:
The world must cut emissions by 50-85 per
cent by the middle of this century. “The
technologies and measures necessary to combat
climate change exist already - all we need
is the courage and vision of the political
decision-makers to give those technologies
preferential treatment,” says Dr Stephan
Singer, Head of WWF’s European Climate Change
Programme and expert reviewer of the report
by IPCC Working Group III. “What the world
needs is a global ‘climate and energy security
plan’ - the negotiations in Bangkok will
show if our political leaders are up to
this task.”
Costs for new energy sources will be at
the core of the negotiations in Bangkok.
“While the cost for developing new energy
sources may seem high, clean energy is often
competitive, especially when we take into
account the cost of damage caused by climate
change,” says Hans Verolme, Director of
WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme. “Switching
the world to clean energy presents huge
opportunities for people and business –
doing nothing will leave the world impoverished.”
A strong message must come from the IPCC
report in Bangkok. ”Government delegates
in Bangkok must not give in to political
pressure and weaken the IPCC report,” says
Hans Verolme, Director of WWF’s Global Climate
Change Programme. “The scientists must be
allowed to present the full set of political,
technological, and economic options, and
governments should start making the necessary
emission cuts now."
Media Events/Activities:
• Daily Media Statement, 09:00 Monday 30
April through Wednesday 2 May
• International Press Release – Stop Climate
Climate Change: It Is Possible embargo 1130
local time (0430GMT) Thursday 3 May,
• Press Briefing Stop Climate Change: It
Is Possible 1030-1130 local time (0330-0430GMT)
Thursday 3 May with WWF’s Dr Stephan Singer
and Hans Verolme.
• Closing Statement Friday 4 May. WWF spokespeople
available.
Materials for the Media:
Press Pack - All backgrounders, press work,
photos, reports etc at http://www.panda.org/presspack/climate.
TV Footage – For broadcast-standard video,
please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/wwf.
Online - Daily updates at www.panda.org/climate/blog.
Global map of climate change impacts at
www.panda.org/climate/ipcc.
Spokespeople: Hans Verolme, Director, WWF’s
Global Climate Change Programme. Stephan
Singer, Head of WWF’s Climate Change Policy
Unit.
