Eighteen years ago, on this day, November 26th, 2008,
A leading climate scientist has told the Environmental Audit Committee that the international target to cut carbon dioxide is too modest and the cap on temperature rise too high to prevent dangerous climate change.
On 26 November, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee held a special one-off evidence session on the scientific basis for global carbon reduction targets. Giving evidence was leading climate scientist Professor James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the government’s chief scientific adviser Professor John Beddington and Environment Department (DEFRA) scientific adviser Professor Robert Watson.
Anon, 2008. Committee told climate targets are insufficient ENDS Report Dec 19
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 386ppm. As of 2025, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.
The broader context was the UK had at that time a 60% reduction in emissions by 2050 as its target. This was bumped up to 80% in 2008.
Bob Watson had been telling politicians (UK and US) for 20 years at this point. See this – June 10, 1986 – scientist tells US senators “global warming is inevitable. It is only a question of the magnitude and the timing.”
The specific context was that the Climate Change Act received Royal Assent that very day.
What I think we can learn from this – the MPs were warned, but didn’t particularly give a shit – tomorrow’s problem.
What happened next – in 2019 the target was pushed up to “Net Zero” (distinct from actual zero) by 2050. All too late.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
Also on this day:
November 26, 1979 – CCS first glimmerings, by Albanese and Steinberg
November 26, 1966 – Conservation Society first meeting
November 26, 1996 – Australian climate modelling is ridiculed
November 26, 1998 – “National Greenhouse Strategy” (re)-launched