According to Professor Chris Field, one of the authors of the 2007 IPCC report on climate change, things could get worse than we think. He told a conference last week that future temperatures 'will be beyond anything' predicted, because the IPCC report had underestimated the rate of change (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7890988.stm). Updated predictions from the IPCC are due to be published in Spring 2009.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Climate Change - created by the Climate Change Act to advise government on the topic - has published its first report on the nation’s emissions-reduction targets, including recommendations on ways to achieve the targets set for 2050. The report, 'Building a low-carbon economy - the UK's contribution to tackling climate change', was published in December 2008. See www.theccc.org.uk/reports.

Elsewhere, the European Parliament and Council has agreed a package of policy measures to push forward the ‘low-carbon economy’. Changes include increasing the share of renewables in energy use to 20% by 2020. Details are at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/climate_action.htm.