Translation of "Abrupt climate change " (English → French) :

Activities shall focus on improving the understanding of climate change and the risks associated with extreme events and abrupt climate-related changes with a view to providing reliable climate projections; assessing impacts at global, regional and local level, and vulnerabilities; developing innovative cost-effective adaptation and risk prevention and management measures; and supporting mitigation policies and strategies, including studies that focus on impact from other sectoral policies.

4. HOLDS the view that both processes should be guided by the ultimate objective of the Convention: stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner; REITERATES its view that in order to meet this objective, overall global mean surface temperature increase should not exceed 2°C above pre-industrial levels and that significant global emission reductions will be necessary in accordance with the principle of common but differentiate ...[+++]d responsibilities and respective capabilities; NOTES that this will require global greenhouse gas emissions to peak within two decades, followed by substantial reductions in the order of at least 15% and perhaps by as much as 50% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels; NOTES that failure to achieve such reductions urgently would lead to an increased risk of abrupt climate change; IS CONFIDENT that the Montreal Action Plan provides the appropriate means to discuss with all parties ways and means to achieve this objective;

12. UNDERLINES that addressing climate change has costs but also brings opportunities and incentives for innovation in support of the Lisbon Agenda goals of economic growth, full employment and sustainable development; NOTES that broader participation in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to achieve the environmental objective and will contribute to mitigate economic adjustment costs and avoid distortions in competition; EMPHASISES that when evaluating costs and benefits of future climate change policies it is vital to include monetary, non-monetary and non-tangible aspects of climate change policies into both the costs of action (taking into account such aspects as technological developments, reduction potentials and ...[+++] consumption patterns) and the costs of inaction (such as damage from more frequent severe weather events, risks of abrupt climate change, loss of biodiversity, irreversible impacts, social and safety aspects and implications for other regions, and positive effects such as ancillary benefits and the contribution of technology innovation to competitiveness and economic growth); LOOKS FORWARD to the Commission’s report on costs and benefits in view of the 2005 Spring European Council consideration of medium and longer term emission reduction strategies, including targets".

Whilst we cannot predict with certainty the extent to which temperatures will rise, we can be certain that the risk of abrupt climate change exists.

As Dr. Richard Alley, former chair of the American National Research Council's panel on abrupt climate change noted this weekend: " If there is one thing we are almost positive of, it is that nature never does anything smoothly" .

Paul Beckwith said that the risk of a missile strike is insignificant compared to the risks to Canadians from abrupt climate change.