When the paris agreement was signed three years ago, agreed the world that global warming must be limited to a maximum of 2 degrees, with their sights set on 1.5 degrees. Despite the fact that a breach of the contract obligations is expected to lead to catastrophic consequences for the earth’s climate, we are running a real risk that the agreement will fail. It has already accumulated so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it becomes increasingly less likely to achieve the goal of 1.5 degrees and it is needed now a hefty shift in to stay for even 2-degree rise in temperature. This summer’s extreme weather has given us all a reminder to take this task very seriously.
in Spite of the climate issues of concern and increasing space in the political debate appears to be climate policy often diffuse and difficult to evaluate for the voters. There is a need of a reform, which can create order and structure in the climate policy and make it easier for citizens to assess whether climate action will produce a fast enough transition to a carbon neutral society. We therefore advocate the establishment of a european carbon budget.
According to calculations based on the UN’s climate panel, the IPCC koldioxidbudgetar remains from the year 2019, approximately 675 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide to drop out globally if we still shall have a reasonable opportunity to pass the Parisavtalets 2-degrees target. In the same way as a family to establish a family budget for their expenditure, the need for a carbon budget put forward that the EU should not have higher emissions than what is the union’s fair share of the world’s remaining kolidioxutrymme for 2 degrees.
the World simply is not going to be saved by the beautiful speeches, but by science-based policies and koldioxidbokföring.
Legally binding koldioxidbudgetar are already in the Uk and in Sweden, several municipalities and counties have taken the initiative to establish koldioxidbudgetar. As the chief member of the EU parliament for the EU’s roadmap towards the paris agreement has been signed, Jakop Dalunde, together with colleagues in the green partigruppen pushed the issue of kolidioxidbudgetar at the EU level.
the Work, however, needs to continue to make the budget legally binding, with the requirements on reported emission reductions and that it is linked more clearly to the current system for trading with emission allowances.
We believe that a european carbon budget would mean several advantages:
1.
The political parties have of course different ideas about how the climate problem should be solved. This is something basically good, but may not lead to parties proposing policies that are not scientifically grounded. All too often, can be quite elemental scientific knowledge to see that certain political positions are not compatible with fast enough emission reductions to achieve the paris agreement.
With a carbon budget, it would be easier to assess whether Europe’s governments will reduce emissions at the pace that the paris agreement calls for. The parties may of course make different political priorities, but this should be done within the framework of a budget that is compatible with to actually achieve the commitment to limit global warming to 2 degrees. It should be as obvious as that the voters requires the parties who claim the government can present a coherent budget for the economic policy.
2.
the Target is necessary in climate policy. But because carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere is not sufficient that the emissions come down to zero in a given year in the future – to reach the paris agreement, it is crucial how large the emissions we have along the way. Sweden’s overall carbon budget for the 2-gradersmålet can with the current emission levels be the end of it on as early as 12 years old. It is therefore not enough that (as in the case of Sweden) to establish a goal of zero emissions to 2045. The goal must be complemented with the requirement that the annual emissions will be reduced at the right pace. If we do not immediately begin to bring down emissions, 2-gradersmålet soon no longer go to achieve.
3.
Koldioxidbudgetar is a well-grounded scientific instruments to assess climate policy measures. In similarity with that economists have a natural place in the assessment of the financial policies should climate scientists be given a corresponding role in climate policy.
the Necessity of this is illustrated by the fact that despite the fact that research known to the seriousness of the climate issue for nearly 30 years, the world’s emissions increased 65 percent since then. Even in Sweden, a full accounting of the emissions that these have declined since 1990. We believe, therefore, that the koldioxidbudgetar would be able to act as a bridge between research and policy development. The world simply is not going to be saved by the beautiful speeches, but by science-based policies and koldioxidbokföring.
4.
the Hope in the climate change issue is based on that citizens feel that they have the possibility to act in order to bring about the necessary changes required to achieve a carbon-free future. Koldioxidbudgetar is one such tool that can break down documents from the global level down to the european, national, local and even down to the individual level. With greater opportunities for voters to be involved, and evaluate the political decisions can hope to return to climate policy.
the Uk’s climate change act and the initiatives taken locally shows that koldioxidbudgetar has good conditions to create a scientifically robust climate policy. Working at the local level should continue and similar frameworks could be investigated even at the national level. The most obvious place to establish a binding carbon budget is, however, within the framework of EU cooperation.
It is high time that climate policy starts to be managed with the same seriousness as the economy. If the policy can present a clear roadmap towards paris agreement, citizens can once again feel confidence in the fact that there is actually a political response to the climate crisis. The reaction to this summer’s extreme weather suggests that this is exactly what the electorate expects.
