IEA analysis shows UN climate negotiators must reach global agreement this year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bangkok (October 6) – A new International Energy Agency analysis of global greenhouse gas emissions released Tuesday sends a clear signal to UN climate negotiators that they must reach a global agreement this year that puts the world on track to start reducing emissions, said Environmental Defense Fund.

“The 3 percent drop in global emissions is a moment’s breathing room for the planet that UN climate negotiators cannot squander — we need to get started immediately investing in clean energy. We want – and need — dramatic declines in emissions, but not through global economic downturns,” said Jennifer Haverkamp, international climate policy manager for Environmental Defense Fund.

“It also jumps out that the costs of inaction are getting very large – IEA estimates about an extra $500 billion per year of delay. We’ve reached the point where just getting started on policies to turn global emissions downward is probably the single most important thing we can do,” said Haverkamp.

Jennifer Haverkamp / 1-202-316-4914 / jhaverkamp@edf.org

Andrea Welsh/ 1-202-297-7723 / awelsh@edf.org