Leopoldina wants immediate action to protect climate

The Leopoldina national science academy has demanded urgent changes in energy policy by all governments as the only way to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

In a report released on 29 July, the academy calls on the German federal government to lead the way in establishing a “more consistent, more transparent and faster implementation strategy” for reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The report highlights the risk of growing generational conflict over future living conditions. It also calculates the potential financial impact of a “business as usual” approach for Germany. Non-compliance with European climate targets alone would generate costs of around €62 billion by 2030, the authors say.