Lavanya Rajamani joins world-leading scientists to launch climate crisis advisory group

Leading scientists from across the world have launched an independent advisory body in response to the current climate and biodiversity crises, calling for “urgent, large-scale action to curb the effects of climate change”.

The advisory group, named the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), was inspired by Independent Sage, who provided independent scientific advice to the UK government during the coronavirus pandemic. It is being led by Sir David King, the former UK chief scientific adviser, and current leader of Independent Sage.

The advisory group is made up of 14 experts from 10 nations, and includes Professor Lavanya Rajamani, author of The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law.

The group’s stated aim is “to move policymakers, government officials and financial heads to address the key problems at the heart of the crisis”. “Current targets are not enough,” a statement on the CCAG website says. “Nations need to triple their emissions-cutting pledges to limit the Earth’s warming.”

To address the “key problems” identified by CCAG, the group has proposed three approaches: rapid reduction of emissions; greenhouse gas removal at scale; and collaborative action to manage parts of the climate system that are beyond tipping point.

Sir David told The Observer:

We are not just going to say ‘this is the state of the global climate’, but also what should the global response be from governments and companies … What we do in the next five years will determine the future of humanity for the next millennium.

Since its launch in June, CCAG have produced a number of reports and articles, all of which can be found on their website. They have also hosted three public meetings, with a recent meeting focusing on extreme weather events and another entitled The Final Warning Bell. All three of their meetings can be viewed on their website.