5 questions for Jeffrey Sachs on decarbonizing the economy
一个绿色的工厂
上周来自15个国家的30个科学机构发布了一份联合国概述了世界上主要的二氧化碳排放国家如何在世纪中期削减这些排放量的报告。该深脱碳途径项目旨在在联合国提前提供政府领导人气候首脑会议9月底，在2015年底巴黎的气候谈判。耶鲁环境360.哥伦比亚大学的地球学院主任杰弗里·萨克斯和脱碳项目的关键球员，关于气候前锋全球行动的五个问题。
1.为什么您认为，深脱碳途径项目有可能在其他全球碳切割举措失败的情况下取得成功？
有关联合国气候变化框架公约的COP21，有机会成功。COP21是2015年12月在巴黎的会面，政府致力于采用新的气候协议。有一个迹象表明，所有主要的排放国 - 美国，欧盟，中国，印度和其他人 - 准备采取真正的行动一起。这绝不是放心，但有可能。深脱碳途径项目(PDF)通过向国家一级的深度脱碳方式提供帮助，可以帮助这种过程，并强调应将低碳和零碳技术的发展纳入COP21协议。
2. What practical incentives does the project offer to governments, citizens and businesses to embrace “bold” emissions reduction targets despite the economic costs?
该报告描绘了将需要的能量转换深度，以及该转型的主要支柱。三是最重要的：零碳和低碳电;车辆的电气化和建筑物的加热和冷却;并且能量效率的巨大进步。为了使这些按大规模采用，我们需要三件事：碳定价，反映碳的社会成本;通过研究，开发和示范项目改进技术;和明确的国家途径，为私人投资者提供监管和政策指导。
3.开发更改游戏，低碳能源技术的研究和开发工作的规模是什么样的，以及这些努力的成本将如何支付？
目前美国政府每年花费大约30亿美元的生物医学研究，但低碳能源仅为30亿美元。整个世界应通过大约一阶的数量级（即10倍）增加了低碳能源系统的RD＆D，从公共和私营部门分享了每年1000亿美元。这些是非常粗略的估计。明年的DDPP报告将以定量和定性细节考虑此问题。
4. What are the main guiding principles in the developing world of simultaneously lifting people out of poverty while reducing the carbon intensity of these emerging economies?
We must distinguish between groups of countries. The poorest countries play almost no role in energy-related CO2排放。他们只是需要现代能源，尤其是电力和清洁烹饪燃料。全球社区的主要目标应该是支持这些贫困国家来实现所有人的现代能源。相比之下，中等收入国家的能源领域往往往往促成全球合作伙伴2排放(特别是中国)。这些国家将不ed to define and implement national deep decarbonization pathways that are specific to their resource base (wind, solar, hydro and geothermal energy), economic structure, public attitudes (such as to nuclear power) and economic prospects. The high-income countries should support these middle-income countries mainly through cooperative efforts on the research, development, demonstration and diffusion of low-carbon technologies.
5. In light of disappointing climate negotiations in the past, why do you think the global community will be more inclined to agree to serious reductions in CO2emissions at talks that culminate in Paris next year?
几个因素为明年达成了谨慎乐观态度。首先，讽刺的是，全球的证据climate破坏在世界各地变得更加明显和恐惧。其次，美国和中国更加出现在合作和有意义的基础上，而不是几年前的基础。第三，低碳技术（光伏，电动车，智能电网）继续改善。第四，碳预算的概念（与温度增加的2度Celsius限制符合）和长期转化途径今天比几年前更广泛地理解。
None of this suggests that a solid agreement is assured. There are still huge obstacles to overcome, including powerful vested interests, such as within the global oil industry; the unwillingness of the U.S. and some other high-income countries to commit to a clear and ambitious program of climate financing for the poorer countries; the lack of global trust; and the undue short-termism of politics and finance. Some politicians will want an agreement of any kind, for a successful “photo-op.” This will be little better than no agreement. It’s our responsibility to work overtime until December 2015 to ensure that we have not only an agreement, but also an agreement that supports the globally agreed limit of 2-degrees C.
一个绿色工厂的顶部例证由javi.ruiz.via Shutterstock.
