Professor Guus Berkhout (CLINTEL)

November 2019

Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, President European Commission

Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect European Commission

Dr. Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President European Commission

Wetstraat 200

1049 Brussels

Your Excellencies,

There is no Climate Emergency

A global network of more than 700 knowledgeable and experienced scientists and professionals have the honor to submit to Your Excellencies the attached European Climate Declaration, for which the signatories to this letter are the national ambassadors.

The general-circulation models of climate – on which international policy is at present founded – are unfit for their purpose. Therefore, it is unwise to advocate spending trillions of dollars on the basis of speculative results from such immature models. Current climate policies not only dangerously undermine the European economic system, but they also put lives at risk in countries where access to reliable and affordable energy is made very difficult.

We urge you to follow a climate policy based on sound science, realistic economics and genuine concern for those harmed by costly but unnecessary attempts at mitigation.

On November 20 we will visit Brussels to inform the European politicians and news media in a press briefing, during which we should like to present to Your Excellencies the European Climate Declaration with the list of scientists and professionals. Please let us know whether you will be personally present to receive the Declaration.

Yours sincerely, ambassadors of the European Climate Declaration,

Professor Ivar Giaever, Nobel Laureate, Norway

Professor Guus Berkhout, The Netherlands

Professor Richard Lindzen, USA

Professor Jens Morton Hansen, Denmark

Dr. John Droz jr., USA

Professor Reynald Du Berger, French Canada

Professor Ingemar Nordin, Sweden

Terry Dunleavy, New Zealand

Jim O’Brien, Rep. of Ireland

Viv Forbes, Australia

Professor Henri Masson, French Belgium

Professor Ian Plimer, Australia

Professor Alberto Prestininzi Italy

Professor Jeffrey Foss, English Canada

Professor Benoît Rittaud, France

Morten Jødal, Norway

Professor Fritz Vahrenholt, Germany

Rob Lemeire, Dutch Belgium

Dr. Thaigo Maia, South America

The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, UK

There is no climate emergency

A global network of 700 scientists and professionals has prepared this urgent message. Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific. Scientists should openly address uncertainties and exaggerations in their predictions of global warming, while politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of mitigation.

Natural as well as anthropogenic factors cause warming

The geological archive reveals that Earth’s climate has varied as long as the planet has existed, with natural cold and warm phases. The Little Ice Age ended as recently as 1850. Therefore, it is no surprise that we now are experiencing a period of warming.

Warming is far slower than predicted

The world has warmed at less than half the rate predicted by IPCC on the basis of modeled anthropogenic forcing and radiative imbalance. It tells us that we are far from understanding climate change.

Climate policy relies on inadequate models

Climate models have many shortcomings and are not remotely plausible as EU policy tools. They blow up the effect of greenhouse gases such as CO2. In addition, they ignore the fact that enriching the atmosphere with CO2 is beneficial.

CO2 is plant food, the basis of all life on Earth

CO2 is not a pollutant. It is essential to all life on Earth. Photosynthesis is a blessing. More CO2 is beneficial for nature, greening the Earth: additional CO2 in the air has promoted growth in global plant biomass. It is also good for agriculture, increasing the yields of crops worldwide.

Global warming has not increased natural disasters

There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent. However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly.

EU climate policy must respect scientific and economic realities

There is no climate emergency. Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm. We strongly oppose the harmful and unrealistic net-zero CO2 policy proposed for 2050. If better approaches emerge, and they certainly will, we have ample time to reflect and adapt. The aim of European policy should be to provide reliable and affordable energy at all times, and throughout the world.