I speak for the whole of the Institution's Climate Emergency Task Group (CETG) when I say that it's fantastic to see the climate crisis being so regularly discussed in Verulam. However, I must respond to Ian Whitlam's letter (January) to reassure him that the work of the CETG takes place in response to the majority consensus of scientists around the world, including that of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We believe that the consensus at this point in time is clear: humankind's current activities are contributing to climate breakdown and biodiversity loss, and this cannot continue unchecked. I should also highlight that the CETG's activities are aligned with the net-zero-carbon legislation of seven major governments around the world and the official net-zero policies of 29 more - numbers that continue to increase. These laws and policies will require us to change the way in which we work, regardless of our personal views, and there are surely advantages to doing this proactively rather than reactively.
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