The Challenge

The devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the record heat waves in 2006 were wake-up calls for millions of Americans. The scientific consensus establishing the climate crisis is now overwhelming.

Still, recent research suggests that the majority of Americans do not yet understand the urgency of the climate crisis. While the vast majority (77%) of Americans believe there is solid evidence that the Earth is warming, less than half understand its link with human activity (47%), and most Americans do not view it as a top-tier issue, ranking 4th lowest of 23 issues tested in Jan 2007 according to the
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Therein lies the task of the Alliance – to educate people from all walks of life that addressing the climate crisis is uniquely urgent and that mobilization to solve it at home, at work and in civic life must commence immediately.

Economy Wide Challenge

In order to avert the most dangerous impacts of climate change, an international group of distinguished scientists reporting to the UN Foundation is calling for an immediate effort to stop the growth of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade and to reduce current emissions by two-thirds by the end of the century. Based on per capita emissions, this means that U.S. reductions of 60-90% must happen even sooner, by 2050. These reductions require a comprehensive but achievable transformation of our energy, transportation, building, industrial, and agricultural sectors, among others. Fortunately, the magnitude of the needed change is well within our ability and there is sufficient time if we commence immediately.

This economy-wide challenge requires actions by individuals and corporations -- and enactment of meaningful new policies by governments. In particular, governments need to adopt policies that stimulate dispersion and deployment of greenhouse-reducing processes and technologies – from next generation vehicles to greater efficiency in buildings and industry; from renewable electricity to biofuels; and from power plant carbon capture and storage to low-emission agricultural processes. In homes and workplaces, on farms and in factories, and at construction sites everywhere, people and businesses must be able to access the best resources for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – many of which, while technically well within reach, are not easily accessible in current markets. Policies that improve accessibility of climate solutions will also stimulate creation of hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the U.S. and the globe.