NERC science to play a key role in Paris climate change conference
Dec 02, 2015
NERC's world-leading climate science research is set to play a pivotal role in helping negotiators thrash out an international climate change agreement during the upcoming UN climate change conference in Paris (COP21).
Well over 100 NERC-funded scientists, based at the UK's top universities and our six research centres, will make a major contribution to the conference through an influential report, called the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), as well as through side events and presentations. The report, by the UN's climate panel, details the physical evidence behind climate change, and will help policymakers pave the way for a global, legally binding treaty on reducing carbon emissions.
Commentators see the conference as crucial, as the world needs an international agreement to have a chance of keeping global warming below 2°C.
The global climate is changing far more quickly than at any other time in recent history, and is already causing serious problems for the UK. The Stern Review estimates that, without action, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least five per cent of global GDP each year, now and forever.
An analysis shows that nearly two-thirds of the UK authors of AR5 are NERC-funded. NERC scientists have also made an impressive contribution to one of the three working groups that make up AR5, Working Group 1: of the UK authors of WG1, titled The Physical Science Basis, two-thirds are NERC-funded.
NERC's chief executive, Professor Duncan Wingham, said:
"COP21 is a significant world event. Agreements need to be made to ensure we aim to keep global warming below 2°C. I am proud of the world-leading contribution NERC research and scientists will make to these talks. We are demonstrating our position as a world-class provider of climate change research."
NERC is the UK's largest funder of world-leading weather and climate research, investing £58m a year. Our research has long been crucial in uncovering the effects of climate change on the planet.
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