Environmental analysis news: Authorities 'must make decisions' on climate change

World leaders need to make decisions about climate change and how to reduce global carbon emissions, an industry expert has said.

Toddington Harper, managing director of lobbying group LowCarbonEconomy.com, has called on international governments to step up and face the tough choices about climate change and not shy away from their responsibilities.

He said: "The 2,000 or so UN scientists who agree - which rarely happens - that carbon emissions are a problem forces politicians to make decisions. The worst thing to happen now would be for anybody to take that pressure off."

Mr Harper's comments come as a study released by Bristol University earlier this month claimed that the earth could have a greater capacity for carbon absorption than previously thought.

This has raised fears that some organisations could use it as an excuse to slow global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

Mr Harper has urged decision-makers to take a balanced view and treat the report with caution. He argued that continuing with the current drive to dramatically decrease carbon emissions could do no harm, whereas the alternative could be potentially devastating.

Posted by Lauren Steadman