This Is It: The Next Fifteen Years Will Seal the Fate of Earth's Climate Andrew Freedman - Mashable
go to original September 20, 2014

Read the report: The New Climate Economy

A major new report finds that if infrastructure investments during the next 15 years follow the current path of high carbon dioxide emissions, the world will sail well past the threshold of what world leaders consider to be dangerous amounts of global warming.

But the report also argues that it's possible to foster economic growth and tackle climate change at the same time, in nations both rich and poor.

“Yes, it is possible to have better growth and better climate,” said Felipe Calderón, the former president of Mexico, who co-chaired a commission of 24 leaders from government, business, finance and economics in 19 countries. “We need to make some fundamental changes and tough choices.”

To put it more bluntly, Calderón said, the next 15 years of development decisions will “determine the future of the world."

“If we don’t take action in these coming years it will be every day more expensive and more difficult to shift towards a low carbon economy,” Calderón said, speaking at a press event with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The comprehensive economic analysis, which comes one week before more than 120 heads of state will meet for a daylong climate summit in New York, finds that investments of $90 trillion will be needed over the next 15 years in energy systems, cities and land use — regardless of climate goals.

Read the rest at Mashable

Image: Mashable Composite, Roy Scott/Getty Creative

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