We Have 3 Years to Save the Planet From Climate Disaster, Experts Warn

A group of prominent experts led by former U.N. climate chief Christina Figueres is warning that we have three years to save the planet from a certain climate disaster.

In a letter published in the journal Nature on Thursday, the authors said "the year 2020 is crucially important" because "the temperature goals set in the Paris (Accord) become almost unattainable."

"When it comes to climate, timing is everything," the authors wrote. "The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals that were agreed in 2015 would also be at grave risk."

The letter was signed by more than 60 climate experts, including Hans Joachim Schellnhuber of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Stefan Rahmstorf, head of Earth system analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

The authors note that after roughly 1°C of global warming driven by human activity, diminishing ice sheets, dying coral reefs and the collapse of entire ecosystems point to an urgent need to lower emissions globally.

Despite the dire warning, the experts voiced optimism that there was still time to act.

"Recent political events have thrown the future of our world into sharp focus," the authors noted. "But as before Paris, we must remember that impossible is not a fact, it’s an attitude. It is crucial that success stories are shared. Demonstrating where countries and businesses have over-achieved on their targets will raise the bar for others. More ambitious targets become easier to set.

"There will always be those who hide their heads in the sand and ignore the global risks of climate change. But there are many more of us committed to overcoming this inertia. Let us stay optimistic and act boldly together."

The authors suggest six milestones for 2020 that they say should be considered at the G20 meeting in Hamburg next month.

Among their recommendations is ensuring that renewables make up at least 30 percent of the world’s electricity supply, with no new coal-fired power plants approved beyond 2020. Electric vehicles should be 15 percent of new car sales and cities should be upgrading at least 3 percent of their buildings to zero- or near-zero emissions each year.

In the transportation sector, the fuel efficiencies of heavy-duty vehicles should be increased by 20 percent and greenhouse-gas emissions from airplanes should be reduced by 20 percent.

"Also required are commitments for a doubling of mass-transit utilization in cities," the authors wrote.

Christina Figueres, former General Secretary of the Climate Secretariat of the United Nations, during a press conference at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, 16 May 2016.

In land use, the authors say deforestation should be reduced to zero, and heavy industries should be working towards halving emissions by 2050. They also stress that the global financial sector should be spending at least $1 trillion a year for climate action by 2020.

"Lowering emissions is a monumental task, but research tells us that it is necessary, desirable and achievable," the authors wrote.

One way is to let science guide decisions and set targets, according to the letter.

"Policies and actions must be based on robust evidence. Uncensored and transparent communication of peer-reviewed science to global decision-makers is crucial," they added.

They also stressed that it is up to those in power to take a stand on making the changes necessary.

Michael Garrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, told weather.com the experts' analysis "highlights the importance of accelerating progress on decarbonising the world's economy."

"Hitting the brakes, as being attempted by the current White House and Congress, all but guarantees that we'll fail to meet the climate targets," he said.