Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 9 hrs ago
Nicholas Stern says the next two decades are crucial for climate action
Economist Nicholas Stern says the next two decades are crucial for the world’s response to climate change.
His 2006 report, commissioned by the British government, warned that unchecked warming would cost the global economy more than taking early action.
Stern says climate impacts have grown more serious and arrived sooner than expected, but renewable energy and battery costs have fallen sharply.
He says current trends point to 2.5 to 3 degrees of warming by 2100, down from an earlier estimate of four degrees.
Governments have made progress, but not fast enough, he argues, and he says policy is currently moving in the wrong direction in the United States and too slowly in Europe.
China’s emissions may now level off and then fall, while India’s energy choices and city growth will also affect the climate; how quickly emissions fall in China will matter greatly.
Nicholas Stern says the next two decades are decisive for the world’s climate and economy.
He says climate impacts are worsening faster and appearing earlier than expected.
At the same time, the cost of renewable energy and batteries has fallen sharply, making clean electricity cheaper than fossil-fuel power in many places.
Stern says climate action has advanced, but not nearly fast enough.
He points to the United States and Europe as places where policy progress is inadequate, while developments in China and India will have major effects.
- Who
- Nicholas Stern, a climate economist and former World Bank chief economist.
- What
- Stern says the next two decades are crucial for climate action and the world’s economy.
- When
- The interview was published on November 8, 2026. Stern’s report was published on October 30, 2006.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Climate impacts are worsening, while the costs of clean energy have fallen; Stern says action remains too slow.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Stern Report was published, warning that unchecked climate change would cost the world economy more than early action.
Projections based on then-current trends suggested the planet could warm by four degrees by the end of the century.
Stern says projections based on current trends point to 2.5 to 3 degrees of warming by the end of the century.
- Stern Report
- Published October 30, 2006
- Report length
- More than 600 pages
- Stern Report author
- Nicholas Stern, commissioned by the British government
- Projected warming before the Paris agreement
- Four degrees by the end of the century, if past trends continued
- Projected warming today
- 2.5 to 3 degrees by the end of the century, if current trends continued
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What people are saying
Die nächsten zwei Jahrzehnte sind für unsere Welt entscheidend
Die Kosten des Nichtstuns sind gestiegen und die Kosten des Handelns sind gesunken.
Wir haben uns bewegt, aber bei Weitem nicht schnell genug.