Fossil fuels should be 'phased out by 2100' says IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says in a stark report that most of the world's electricity can - and must - be produced from low-carbon sources by 2050.
If not, the world faces "severe, pervasive and irreversible" damage. Those who choose to ignore or dispute the science so clearly laid out in this report do so at great risk for all of us and for our kids and grandkids”
"Science has spoken," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "There is no ambiguity in their message. Leaders must act. Time is not on our side."
The IPCC's Synthesis Report was published on Sunday in Copenhagen, after a week of intense debate between scientists and government officials.
"There is a myth that climate action will cost heavily," said Mr Ban, "but inaction will cost much more."
"We have to first lower the temperature as you will to do with your children, that is what we are doing, that requires some massive, urgent and immediate action."
The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, described the report as "another canary in the coal mine".
"Those who choose to ignore or dispute the science so clearly laid out in this report do so at great risk for all of us and for our kids and grandkids," Mr Kerry said in a statement.
"It's very clear from the report that fossil fuels have had their day," said Prof Arthur Petersen from UCL and a member of the Dutch government's team in Copenhagen.
"Of course it is up to politicians to decide which risks they want to take with climate change, so it is not policy prescriptive in saying that these reductions should take place, but it is absolutely clear that the reductions should take place if you want to limit (temperature increases) to 2C."
For electricity production, this would mean a rapid move away from coal and into renewables and other low carbon forms, including nuclear.
The report suggests renewables will have to grow from their current 30% share to 80% of the power sector by 2050.
In the longer term the report states "fossil fuel power generation without CCS is phased out almost entirely by 2100".
The chair of the IPCC Dr Rajendra Pachauri said that greener electricity is key.
"If the world wants to go on this pathway of keeping temperatures increases below 2 degrees C by the end of the century, then by the middle of the century we will have to treble or quadruple the use of low carbon or zero carbon energy from renewables, and sources like bioenergy, nuclear and carbon capture and storage."
Three previous reports from the IPCC, issued over the past 13 months, have outlined the causes, the impacts and the potential solutions to climate change.
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