G7 Climate Deceit

Six years ago I wrote this piece about the atmospheric CO2 concentration reaching 404 ppmv. Since then the numbers have risen by over 2 ppm each year, topping out at just shy of 220 this year.

Looking carefully at the noisy data one might just discern a slight slowdown in the rate of increase during this covid impacted year but the rise has again been over 2 ppmv. Methane and nitrous oxide have also risen, faster than ever.

Despite all the talk and all the efforts, humanity has utterly failed to combat global heating. We are still making the situation worse. The best we can admit is that we could have made things even worse.

Yesterday the G7 countries' leaders, from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and USA, published their 'G7 Climate and Environment: Ministers’ Communiqué'.

They say "We will help set the world on a nature positive and climate-resilient pathway to bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030 and to keep a limit of 1.5°C temperature rise within reach by making our 2030 ambitions consistent with the aim of achieving net zero emissions as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest."

A limit of 1.5°C temperature rise by achieving net zero emissions by 2050? No, that is wanting one's cake and eating it. It is delusional, the new form of climate denialism, a deceit upon the world's people.

A 1.5°C limit stands now at the very edge of physical possibility, outside of political reality and impossible if emissions are allowed to decline gently to the so-called 'net' zero by 2050.

Why did the Environment Ministers make the statement? Because they can. It shows willing to address the problem without actually dealing with the problem. It sets a target far enough into the future to ensure it will be somebody else's problem when that target is missed.

But it is a deceit. 

Mind you, they have some nice sea-side inspired graphics on the website.