At the G7 summit in Germany earlier this summer, the leaders of the industrialised world signed an accord to phase out fossil fuels by the end of this century. Even more significant was their agreement that greenhouse gas emissions should be cut by up to 70% by 2050.
The fossil-fuel pledge is a diplomatic coup for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She certainly works with the political zeitgeist: a poll of 10,000 people from 79 countries shows that nearly two thirds think governments should do “whatever it takes” to keep global warming below 2°C.
