Reluctance of nations around the world to implement mechanisms that recognise the cost of greenhouse gas emissions will increase the effort required to manage and adapt to the impacts of climate change, according to the country’s top independent science advisor.

“Delays in the reduction of emissions mean that the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere will continue to increase and continue to compound the greenhouse effect,” Professor Sackett said.

“If no action is taken, this will eventually lead us to dangerous climate change.”

Professor Sackett warned that additional delay meant more stringent emission reduction would be required in future if Australia still planned to meet its portion of the worldwide carbon budget aimed at limiting temperature increases to 2 degrees. A 2 degree change is considered to be the guardrail value that if surpassed, would result in dangerous conditions.

“It is clear that now is the time for action on climate change, and yet we are not acting with sufficient speed to reduce the large degree of risk that climate change poses to our health, our environment and our livelihoods,” she said.

According to the Chief Scientist, not all required action will be taken through national government policy, but nations should show leadership to safeguard a sustainable and economic future for their citizens.

“Combating climate change is not just a matter of policy and government, it’s an issue that affects our society at every level, right down to the individual, and requires systematic change at all levels and in all sectors, not just at policy level,” Professor Sackett said.

“In the face of slow changes at national levels, it is all the more important that forwarding-looking industries, states, individual cities and towns, community groups and family groups continue to network together to reduce their carbon footprints and assess the impact of climate change on their activities”, she said.

“We all recognise that this is a global problem that is not just confined to Australia, but we have an opportunity to do more than our fair share and be international leaders in tackling climate change at national, sectoral, community and individual levels. We must not let that opportunity to make a positive difference pass.”

For more information on Australia’s Chief Scientist, visit http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/

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Media Contact: Alexis Cooper, Office of the Chief Scientist, Mobile: 0410 029 407

In 1998 the world saw its hottest year on record up to that point, as measured by average global air temperatures[1]. This has led some to falsely conclude that world has stopped warming ever since.  Global warming has not stopped.  Here are the facts. 

First, climate change (including global warming) is defined as long-term changes in the average parameters of the climate, not shorter year-to-year variability.  Air temperatures were somewhat cooler in the years following the extremely hot year in 1998, largely due to a natural effect called La Niña (see breakout box). But to say that this represents a halt to global warming is like saying that just because we have a cool summer day it is not summer any more. 

Second, when averaging over the decadal time scales that scientists use to study climate change, the past decade was not only warmer than historical averages, it was the hottest on record.  In fact, 8 of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the decade after 1998[2].

Finally, the atmosphere (air) in which we live contains only a very small fraction of the total heat associated with the surface of the earth.  The vast majority of the heat, about 85% of it is contained in the oceans, and observations show that ocean heat content has been rising over the past decade[3]. 

[1] World Meteorological Organization (2009) WMO Statement on the status of the global climate in 2008, www.wmo.int/wcc3/documents/1039_en.pdf

[2] World Meteorological Organization (2009) WMO Statement on the status of the global climate in 2008, www.wmo.int/wcc3/documents/1039_en.pdf

[3] Levitus, Antonov and Boyer (2005), Geophysical Research Letters, Vol 32, L02604, ftp://ftp.nodc.noaa.gov/pub/data.nodc/woa/PUBLICATIONS/grlheat05.pdf