<
https://theconversation.com/the-overshoot-myth-you-cant-keep-burning-fossil-fuels-and-expect-scientists-of-the-future-to-get-us-back-to-1-5-c-230814>
"Record breaking fossil fuel production, all time high greenhouse gas emissions
and extreme temperatures. Like the proverbial frog in the heating pan of water,
we refuse to respond to the climate and ecological crisis with any sense of
urgency. Under such circumstances, claims from some that global warming can
still be limited to no more than 1.5°C take on a surreal quality.
For example, at the start of 2023’s international climate negotiations in
Dubai, conference president, Sultan Al Jaber, boldly stated that 1.5°C was his
goal and that his presidency would be guided by a “deep sense of urgency” to
limit global temperatures to 1.5°C. He made such lofty promises while planning
a massive increase in oil and gas production as CEO of the Abu Dhabi National
Oil Company.
We should not be surprised to see such behaviour from the head of a fossil fuel
company. But Al Jaber is not an outlier. Scratch at the surface of almost any
net zero pledge or policy that claims to be aligned with the 1.5°C goal of the
landmark 2015 Paris agreement and you will reveal the same sort of reasoning:
we can avoid dangerous climate change without actually doing what this demands
– which is to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industry, transport,
energy (70% of total) and food systems (30% of total), while ramping up energy
efficiency.
A particularly instructive example is Amazon. In 2019 the company established a
2040 net zero target which was then verified by the UN Science Based Targets
initiative (SBTi) which has been leading the charge in getting companies to
establish climate targets compatible with the Paris agreement. But over the
next four years Amazon’s emissions went up by 40%. Given this dismal
performance, the SBTi was forced to act and removed Amazon and over 200
companies from its Corporate Net Zero Standard.
This is also not surprising given that net zero and even the Paris agreement
have been built around the perceived need to keep burning fossil fuels, at
least in the short term. Not do so would threaten economic growth, given that
fossil fuels still supply over 80% of total global energy. The trillions of
dollars of fossil fuel assets at risk with rapid decarbonisation have also
served as powerful brakes on climate action."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
