Comment from Nicholas Stern and Bob Ward on new IPCC report

Posted on 9 Aug 2021 in

Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: “I encourage all finance ministers and their ministries around the world to read this report and recognise the enormous and growing threat that climate change poses to economic development and growth. Man-made climate change will only stop once the world reaches net zero annual emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Every government should now be focused on the investments and innovation required to reach net zero emissions as quickly as possible. We know that these investments will drive sustainable improvements in growth, prosperity and living standards around the world. Richer countries have a duty to help poorer countries with the finance to make the investments which will help us all.”

Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: “As we look around the world at the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, heavy rainfall and wildfires, we should recognise that these are exactly the consequences warned about in previous IPCC reports. We ignore this new report at our own peril. It is time to stop entertaining the bogus arguments of those who continue to deny the risks of climate change, and falsely claim that cutting greenhouse gas emissions is too difficult and expensive. It is time for the world to become much smarter about climate change.”