PETER DROEGE

Regenerative Earth Decade: EUROSOLAR’s fight for Climate Stabilty

Abstract

‘Race To Zero’, ‘Net Zero Emissions by 2050’ and other dominant but misleading concepts, such as targets for – further emitting and polluting – ‘climate neutrality’ are inadequate and over periods of 20 to 30 years are far too long in view of current climate dynamics. Not only have CO2 concentrations already risen to a 150% excess level, from 280 to nearly 420 ppm: methane concentrations are already three times higher than climate stability depended on over the past megayear, having risen from 600 to 1900 ppb. Temperature increase targets should be zero above pre-industrial times of 1750, not 1850, or even 1990. Even less known than the large and rising methane surpluses is the loss of oxygen from the atmosphere and oceans due to fossil fuel combustion and heating, respectively, in a process known as deoxygenation. Much more powerful methods are needed than those currently used in Europe and worldwide at cabinet and parliamentary levels: one that is tantamount to a general mobilization. This presentation calls for ten critical steps for a stable climate. 100% renewables as the central focus of all national economies, and indeed to global economic effort, are only the very basic requirement.

Biography

Peter Droege is an international urban sustainability expert and experienced mind on advanced urban policy, management, transport policy and strategy, urban design, city and regional planning and renewable infrastructure development – and the director of the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development (eurisd.org). He holds a Conjoint Professorship at the University of Newcastle’s School of Architecture and Built Environment and has developed a Chair for Sustainable Spatial Development at the University of Liechtenstein. Peter Droege’s academic career stretches from the School of Architecture and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his position at the University of Tokyo as Urban Development Engineering Endowed Chair to his position as Lend Lease Chair and Professor of Urban Design at the University of Sydney, to the University of Liechtenstein.