Radio Mundo Real

A scientific study commissioned by Friends of the Earth Europe reveals the continent urgently needs to phase-out the use of all fossil fuels. At the current gas burning rate, among other fuels, European countries will have exhausted in nine years their share of the remaining “carbon budget” on Earth, to avoid global average temperatures rising over 2 °C.

The new study, published in October, is titled “Natural Gas and Climate Change” (see attachment) and was conducted by Professor Kevin Anderson and Doctor John Broderick, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, based in the UK.

Meanwhile, a report attached to the study, written by Friends of the Earth Europe, warns that the continent still plans for decades of fossil fuel use including support and subsidies for new gas infrastructure. The report by Friends of the Earth Europe titled “Can the climate afford Europe’s gas addiction?” (see attachment) and published on November 7th, calls for a rapid transformation of the energy system in the European Union to be free from fossil fuels by 2030.

Real World Radio interviewed activist Colin Roche, extractive industries campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, to know more about the new scientific study, its main findings and assessments, only a few days after the end of a new round of UN negotiations on climate change in Bonn, Germany.