The Earth is rapidly getting warmer. This change in the climate threatens serious and even catastrophic disruption to our societies and to the natural environment on which we depend for food and other vital resources.

It is being caused mainly by a build-up of greenhouse gases that are released by human activities, in particular the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), deforestation and certain types of agriculture. These gases trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere in the same way as a greenhouse. 

Over the course of the 20^th century the average surface air temperature increased by around 0.6 °C globally, by almost 1 °C in Europe and by no less than 5 °C in the Arctic. This man-made warming is already having many discernible impacts around the globe. Climate change will affect all countries but developing countries are particularly vulnerable while being least able to afford the cost of adapting to it.

You will find more information on this interesting topic in the article Climate change, social and economic threats : Present and future that you will find attached with our 51st Progressive Newsletter.

Climate change is happening now and it is projected to get worse. As a global problem, climate change requires global solutions.

The European Union, responsible for around 14 % of global greenhouse gas emissions today, has always been in the vanguard of international efforts to tackle climate change.

A global solution requires action from all major emitters. The EU believes that the global temperature rise should be limited to not more than 2 °C above the pre-industrial level, since the available evidence suggests that beyond this threshold severe impacts could increase markedly. 

To stay within this ceiling, emission reductions by industrialised countries on the order of 15–30 % below 1990 levels by 2020, and deeper cuts after that, may need to be considered. The EU wants international discussions on post-2012 action to start as soon as possible, and is working actively with its partners to prepare a new round of global negotiations.

A rapid warming of the planet is under way, with the threat of far-reaching environmental changes that could have very severe impacts on societies across the world. The disastrous social, economical and health effects are already foreseen and predicted and therefore there is no place for further procrastination in taking effective actions. 

Takis A. Haggiandreou
Director
 

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