UN official: Don’t lose hope in climate fight

A top official on the United Nations climate change panel called on global leaders Monday not to lose hope, as they try to negotiate an international accord to fight global warming.

Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said, despite dire warnings from the panel’s recent reports, actions taken by countries are important, The Associated Press reports.

{mossecondads}”May I humbly suggest that policymakers avoid being overcome by the seeming hopelessness of addressing climate change,” Pachauri said.

“Tremendous strides are being made in alternative sources of clean energy. There is much we can do to use energy more efficiently. Reducing and ultimately eliminating deforestation provides additional avenues for action.”

The IPCC is set to release its final report on climate change soon and is meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, this week to adopt the final details.

“The synthesis report will provide the roadmap by which policymakers will hopefully find their way to a global agreement to finally reverse course on climate change,” Pachauri said.

A leaked draft of the report, obtained by AP, uses harsher language than the first three reports.

It warns of “severe, pervasive and irreversible,” climate change impacts if countries don’t work hard to curb greenhouse gas emissions, AP reports.