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London, UK:   A key element of the concerted attack on climate science earlier this year collapsed yesterday, with The Sunday Times apologizing for and withdrawing an article alleging that estimates of climate change risks to the Amazon were based on an “unsubstantiated claim” in a WWF report.

The apology, coming almost five months after the article was published, followed complaints to the UK Press Complaints Commission from leading tropical forest ecologist Dr Simon Lewis, who was interviewed for the article and WWF report authors Andy Rowell and Dr Peter Moore.

The Sunday Times accepted that assessments of risk to the Amazon in both the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and a WWF/International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report on forest fires were not unsubstantiated, but based on peer-reviewed science.

The article did not give a “fair or accurate account” of the views of Dr Lewis and was inconsistent with the research literature he had provided.

Nor were the authors of the 2000 WWF/IUCN global report on forest fires “green campaigners” with “little scientific expertise”. The paper said “We also now understand and accept that Mr Rowell is an experienced environmental journalist and that Dr Moore is an expert in forest management, and apologise for any suggestion to the contrary”.

"This retraction hopefully indicates that after a period of some hysteria, balance and consideration is being restored to the media's reporting of climate science,” said WWF-UK’s head of climate change, Keith Allott.

“Earlier this year we witnessed a concerted attempt to discredit both the IPCC and the whole body of climate science - and too often certain media seemed to write the headline first and then construct a story to fit it. The media are right to challenge and to hold all claims to account, but in this case their story was just not fair or true."

"As we said in a letter published by The Sunday Times at the time, misleading coverage in respected media outlets can serve to undermine public confidence in the credibility of climate science.

“The reality is that we are running out of time to head off the huge risks that climate change poses, not just to the Amazon but to the rest of the world."

Recent Stanford University research found a majority of US and UK citizens solidly behind action on climate change, with views little affected by the now rapidly unraveling spate of attacks on climate science.

The correction published by the Sunday Times reads:

The Sunday Times and the IPCC: Correction

The article "UN climate panel shamed by bogus rainforest claim" (News,
Jan 31) stated that the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) report had included an "unsubstantiated claim" that up to 40% of
the Amazon rainforest could be sensitive to future changes in rainfall.
The IPCC had referenced the claim to a report prepared for WWF by Andrew
Rowell and Peter Moore, whom the article described as "green
campaigners" with "little scientific expertise." The article also stated
that the authors’ research had been based on a scientific paper that
dealt with the impact of human activity rather than climate change.

In fact, the IPCC’s Amazon statement is supported by peer-reviewed
scientific evidence. In the case of the WWF report, the figure had, in
error, not been referenced, but was based on research by the respected
Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) which did relate to the
impact of climate change. We also understand and accept that Mr Rowell
is an experienced environmental journalist and that Dr Moore is an
expert in forest management, and apologise for any suggestion to the
contrary.

The article also quoted criticism of the IPCC’s use of the WWF report by
Dr Simon Lewis, a Royal Society research fellow at the University of
Leeds and leading specialist in tropical forest ecology. We accept that,
in his quoted remarks, Dr Lewis was making the general point that both
the IPCC and WWF should have cited the appropriate peer-reviewed
scientific research literature. As he made clear to us at the time,
including by sending us some of the research literature, Dr Lewis does
not dispute the scientific basis for both the IPCC and the WWF reports’
statements on the potential vulnerability of the Amazon rainforest to
droughts caused by climate change.

In addition, the article stated that Dr Lewis’ concern at the IPCC’s use
of reports by environmental campaign groups related to the prospect of
those reports being biased in their conclusions. We accept that Dr Lewis
holds no such view – rather, he was concerned that the use of
non-peer-reviewed sources risks creating the perception of bias and
unnecessary controversy, which is unhelpful in advancing the public’s
understanding of the science of climate change. A version of our article
that had been checked with Dr Lewis underwent significant late editing
and so did not give a fair or accurate account of his views on these
points. We apologise for this.

The original article to which this correction refers has been removed

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Ottawa, Canada: WWF is critical of the G8 Accountability Report released today for not measuring progress on one of the most substantial G8 development and climate change commitments to date: to limit temperature rise to an identified 2 degrees Centigrade threshold of dangerous climate change.

“If we don't limit global warming to as far below two degrees as possible, all development ambitions will be in serious danger,” said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.    “The G8 countries have yet to make sufficient emission cuts to reach this goal, and this accountability report should be assessing – not ignoring – this issue.”

"This report indicates that the world's leading economies have yet to integrate climate change and development plans in a real and meaningful way."

The G8 stated in 2009 that they would “take the lead” to ensure global and national emission peaks could “take place as soon as possible.” They recognized that an “increase in global average temperature” shouldn’t “exceed 2 degrees C.”   This followed the Gleneagles 2005 commitment - also not included in the Accountability Report - to make “substantial reductions” to stabilize emission concentrations in the atmosphere “at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.”

“If anything should be in the Accountability Report, even one focused on development, it should be climate change. The G8 – and now G20 – should be sending clear messages to the rest of the world that they are working to cut emissions to reduce impacts on the most vulnerable, and stimulate a low carbon economy for all.”

Of 56 indicators, there are five in total on energy and the environment. The Report does include the UN Copenhagen Accord promise on fast-track and long-term financing – both UN decisions that require the leadership of the G8 and G20 respectively.

The Report also notes that the G8 will fail to meet its 2010 objectives on reducing the loss of biodiversity. A temperature rise of 2 degrees C would put 30% of biodiversity at risk.



G8 activities: - http://panda.org/g8g20media

Resource materials:
-          WWF’s G8 and G20 Recommendations: www.panda.org/climate/2010g8g20 (PDF)
           and http://bit.ly/G8G20wwfvideo (2 minute video summary)
-          Recommendation on Climate Finance: www.panda.org/climatefinance
 

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Bonn, Germany – WWF says negotiators at UN climate talks in Bonn have missed some important goals, while showing a much stronger performance than in previous rounds.

“In order to win the low carbon world cup we’ll have to score a number of important goals in the very near future, such as reaching an agreement on adaptation to climate impacts and on ways to stop deforestation”, said Kathrin Gutmann, Head of Climate Policy, WWF Global Climate Initiative.

“Bonn made good progress on some of these crucial building blocks that will be essential parts of a future regime to tackle climate change, and there is really no reason for negotiators to go into extra-time instead of concluding them at the Climate Summit in Mexico this December.”

In WWF’s view, progress in Bonn was mainly a result of improved team spirit among negotiators, with countries from North and South teaming up in unusual coalitions, creating fresh dynamics and space for solutions and compromise.

However, Bonn did not see any major victories on challenging issues like funding and policies to wean economies off fossil fuels and make them fit for the low carbon future, mainly due to a lack of progressive champions and blocking tactics by oil-exporting countries like Saudi Arabia.

“The performance of a whole range of key players in the negotiations didn’t really match the rapid shifts in investment or public opinion in favour of clean technology solutions that have recently occurred at the domestic level”, said Gutmann.

“While the UN climate talks still tend to discuss climate action as a burden, more and more people in more and more countries see it as a benefit, and taking on this view is what will allow negotiators to be successful in solving the big challenges.”

New negotiating text emerging from the Bonn talks on the last day could put delegates attending the next two rounds of negotiations before Mexico – one in August and one in October – in a good position to turn trust into traction in Mexico.

“Bonn reminded parties that negotiating in good faith is the best choice, and on this basis Mexico can be the moment where they agree on a significant package of actions and solutions, so that striking a new climate deal in South Africa the following year becomes a realistic goal”, said Gutmann.

“While the football teams of Mexico and South Africa are playing today’s opening match of the football world cup 2010, their governments are key players for success in the low carbon world cup 2011, where it’s not about the victory of one nation, but about a safe future for the entire planet.”

The results of a WWF poll among delegates, observers and journalists at the Bonn talks revealed that a majority of people following the negotiations shares this view. As part of the WWF Climate Deal Oracle, they were asked when we should and when we will get a global climate deal.

54.7% of the 265 participants thought we should get a deal by Mexico this December. However, 53.6% acknowledged that – realistically – we’d get this deal only in South Africa a year later. Opinions among delegates hardly differed from those expressed by observers and journalists.

Gland, Switzerland: Significant new research from Stanford University is showing that Americans remain convinced of the reality of climate change and supportive of specific government action on it – despite a vigorous and high profile assault on climate science earlier this year.

The research, outlined by Jon A. Krosnick, Professor of communication, political science and psychology at Stanford in the International Herald Tribune today, found around three quarters of interviewees believed the earth had warmed, believed human behaviour was substantially responsible and wanted government to limit greenhouse gas emissions by businesses.

Professor Krosnick said the study had found “no decline in Americans’ trust in environmental scientists”. In 2010, the proportion trusting environmental scientists “a moderate amount, a lot, or completely” was 71 per cent, up from 70 per cent in 2009 and 68 per cent in 2008.

“We are very heartened to find that on climate, you apparently can’t fool many of the people much of the time,” said WWF International Director General James Leape.

More significantly, the research finds that climate change is a highly distinctive “issue public”. Among those who feel strongly about the issue nearly 90 percent believe it is primarily a result of human activity and more than 90 percent want the government to act.

Normally, issues which are strongly motivating exhibit roughly equivalent proportions of supporters and opponents.

Professor Krosnick noted that in both the US and the UK “a huge majority shares a common vision of climate change”. “This creates a unique opportunity for elected representatives to satisfy a lot of voters,” he concluded.

Mr Leape said it may take some time to fully appreciate the significance of the findings. “In Australia, we are finding for instance that the government is being punished in the polls after dropping its emissions trading system, which we were also told was deeply unpopular,” he said.

“Public responses to the issue of climate change are clearly much more complex than much of the analysis of them. Pronouncements that climate change is slipping off the international agenda may well turn out to be premature.”

Further information:
Phil Dickie, WWF International News Editor, pdickie@wwfint.org, +41 79 7031952
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