The internationally agreed goal of avoiding the adverse
effect of climate change is presenting the global
community with one of its most serious challenges
(Figure 2) that is threatening overall development
goals. As progress in reducing the carbon intensity of
consumption and production is being outstripped by
increased levels of consumption, reaching the climate
goal under the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) of reducing global greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions so as to hold the increase in global
average temperature below 2° C above pre-industrial
levels will require not only the fulfilment of current
pledges but also transformative change towards a lowcarbon
global economy.