Scientists gather in Paris to avert climate disaster

Paris, July 7

Nearly 2,000 climate scientists gathered in Paris today, just five months before the deadline for a historic carbon-curbing pact, to remind politicians it is not too late to limit dangerous planet warming. 

“The world is at a critical crossroads,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message read to the academic gathering.

While nations have committed to limiting average global warming to 2°C over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, research shows the world is heading for double or more that on current greenhouse gas emission trends, he said. 

And based on emissions curbs pledged so far, the combined effort will likely “not be sufficient to meet the 2° target,” said Ban. “Clearly strong action still needs to be taken.”

The four-day international science conference opened today in the French capital, which will also host the November 30-December 11 UN climate conference for 195 nations to finalise a new, global climate pact.

Dubbed “Our common future under climate change”, the gathering of academics from nearly 100 countries will review the most up-to-date science on climate challenges and solutions to feed into the Paris pact. — AFP