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Research Teams

Introduction

Introduction

Climate change  is the biggest threat faced by global society. The dangers to human welfare, global stability and environmental sustainability are now very well documented. There is a widely shared consensus within the EU and beyond that to avoid the worst impacts and reduce the risk of triggering large-scale and irreversible changes, global average temperatures must be prevented from rising by more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

To have a high chance of meeting that goal, global emissions of CO2 will need to stop growing in less than 10 years, then fall sharply year on year to about 70-80% below 1990 levels by 2050. For the UK, that could mean preparing to build a near zero-carbon economy by 2050.

ippr’s climate change team is dedicated to finding socially-just solutions to help meet this enormous challenge. ippr has long argued that just sustainability should be at the heart of progressive politics and it has always been one of the core values on which ippr bases its work. With our values, networks and policy expertise, we deliver solutions that work and will last.

ippr has a strong and broad track record of high class, high profile and influential research on UK, European and international climate change policy. Over the last three years this includes work on:

  • Achieving an 80% reduction in UK CO2 emissions by 2050
  • Stimulating climate friendly behaviour change amongst the UK public
  • Analysis of public discourse and communications on climate change
  • A reform agenda for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
  • International climate change frameworks for beyond 2012
  • Challenges and opportunities for a low carbon India
  • Designing emissions pathways for avoiding dangerous climate change.

View ippr's reports, events, projects and news on climate change.

For more information, please contact j.obrien@ippr.org.