The IEA report, Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map, calls on governments to enact four energy policies that would keep climate goals alive with no net costs. In response, Greg Muttitt at Greenpeace International said:
"The climate danger is imminent, but the path to safety is clear and attainable. The question is, will our governments lead us onto that path? The only reasons not to do so would be delusion by fossil fuel lobbyists’ myths or collusion with their paymasters from the oil and coal industry. If governments fail to act they will be complicit in global suffering and should be held accountable."
There are several opportunities for governments to act right away:
• European politicians, who are close to deciding on car efficiency standards, must make the 2020 standards robust enough and outline a path to 2025 ambitious enough to catalyse a shift to ultra-low carbon vehicles.
• Corporations must simply stop building, and governments stop permitting, coal mines and power plants in coal-hungry countries like Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa, India and China, when better options exist. Instead, countries must boost their energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy power supplies.
The IEA’s report also warns that the energy industry itself cannot escape from climate change. For example, water supplies are under increasing stress due to climate change, while greater coal mining and burning competes for those supplies, often in the same regions. (1) Reliance on coal creates both energy and water insecurity, as well as financial risks for the energy sector.
The IEA has previously warned that in order to stay within 2 degrees Celsius of warming, the majority of the world’s proven coal, oil and gas reserves must be left in the ground. In January, Greenpeace International highlighted 14 coal, oil and gas projects – including in China, Australia and the Arctic – that could instead lock the world onto a 6 degrees trajectory. These projects must be abandoned to avoid catastrophic climate change. (2)