Briefing Sheet

Greenhouse gas emissions are rising, not falling. The failure of the Copenhagen conference shows that is unlikely to change in the near future.
If we continue as we are, all of the Arctic ice and much of the Antarctic ice will melt, there will be widespread desertification and there will be hundreds of millions of refugees. This has already begun: the UN high commissioner for refugees has said that, “climate change is today one of the main drivers of forced displacement”.
To prevent this climate catastrophe purely through energy conservation and changing our lifestyles, countries across the world would have to implement policies such as severe restrictions on air travel and meat consumption. And they would have to do this before the worst consequences of climate change were being experienced. There is no sign that people are prepared to vote for the drastic lifestyle changes needed to reduce emissions sufficiently.
However,we can cut emissions in other ways. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a significant part of what needs to be done. If we are to go on burning easily accessible fossil fuels until they have all gone – and so far it appears that we are going to – then it is better to do it in a way that puts less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Nicholas Stern, economist and author of the influential Stern Review, pointed out in his 2009 book, A blueprint for a safer planet, that “we need to know now if CCS can work on a commercial scale and whether the transport and storage of CCS can work on a commercial scale and whether the transport and storage of CO2 can be done safely”. Generally, technology becomes cheaper and more effective and efficient, as we use it, learn from our mistakes and test new developments, so, the earlier we invest in CCS, the better. Protecting the rainforest is also vital. Deforestation puts more carbon into the atmosphere each year than, for example, total worldwide car, train and plane travel, and working with relevant countries to protect their forests is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon emissions.
In addition to reducing emissions in these ways, we also need to take carbon out of the atmosphere.
2% For The Planet therefore calls for the UK government to announce an immediate commitment of 1% of national income for research into technology that can prevent climate change, such as carbon scrubbing, and to invite all of us to voluntarily donate 1% of our own income to this research fund. Alternatively, a Tobin-style tax on financial transactions (also known as the 'Robin Hood' tax) of 0.05% could raise around 400 billion US dollars per year, enough to pay for preserving the rainforest, CCS and research into geo-engineering.
Once some plausible technologies are developed, the fund could start to move from research and development towards implementation.
Of course, the UK should also encourage other governments both in the EU and beyond to join in the research. However, even if no other country joined in, research into carbon scrubbing would have a chance of preventing runaway climate change.