GCP warns over rising global temperatures

A recent report analysis from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) warned that the average global temperature could rise by up to 6C if no actions will be done to lessen carbon gas emissions.

Data shows that emissions increased by 29 per cent between 2000 and 2008. According to scientist Corinne Le Quere, the recent GCP findings should add more importance to December’s UN climate summit. Based on recent trends, she is hoping that the Copenhagen conference next month would give a chance for the policymakers to formulate ways to steady the global temperature at 2C. However, she warned that if the outcome agreement of the climate change talks is too weak or if the commitments are not respected, it is possible that the current global temperatures could rise 6C more.

GCP, a global network of scientists, found that the annual worldwide greenhouse gas emissions just before 2002 went up by about one per cent. But later on, the rate increased to about 3 per cent. The group confirmed that the change came mostly from China’s growing economic output. The group also forecasted that emissions will drop by 3 per cent this year before continuing their rise as the global recession ends.

Meanwhile, John Finnegan from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization said that industrial emissions have climbed in the recent years, but those from land use have remained constant. As a result, the amount of global emissions coming from deforestation has fallen from 20 per cent in the 1990s to 12 per cent this year.

In addition, GCP research findings stated that each person now uses goods and services valued at 1.3 tonnes of carbon, an increase from 1.1 tonnes in 2000. The analysis also suggests that holding back the global temperature at 2C would need cutting the per capita emissions by 2050 to 0.3 tonnes.