BEIJING (AFP) — The head of the Global Wind Energy Council warned Tuesday of dire consequences if governments weakened their fight against climate change due to the global financial crisis.
"Don't take your eyes off the big picture, it's irresponsible," said Steve Sawyer, the council's secretary general, ahead of a major wind power conference starting Wednesday in Beijing.
"In the next two, three decades, it's critical for the survival of human civilisation as we know it," he said.
"The issue of climate (change), even with an economic recession, is not going away, and as a matter of fact with every passing week, the news gets worse and worse."
His comments came after some countries indicated that the economic turmoil may lead them to take a step backwards in the struggle against climate change.
Italy has been one of a number of European countries to voice concern in recent days about the costs of an EU plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels.
The project, which also aims to have renewable energies make up 20 percent of all energy sources, was due to be sealed in December at the next EU summit.
But Italy and Poland have now persuaded their EU partners to adopt the project by a unanimous -- rather than majority -- vote, which poses a threat to the ambitious package.
Sawyer, a former Greenpeace CEO who now campaigns for wind power to become one of the world's leading energy sources, said the fight against climate change could not be postponed.
"The benefits of early action to reduce emissions are enormous -- a tonne of CO2 (carbon dioxide) saved now is worth 10 tonnes saved in 2025."
EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also urged leaders at an Asia-Europe summit in Beijing this weekend not to neglect climate change in the face of the crisis.
The Global Wind Energy Council is due to release a report in Beijing on Thursday looking at the potential for wind power development around the world.
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