From Watts Up With That?

Essay by Eric Worrall

But “… The recognition of the value of science for society can no longer be taken for granted …”

Corinne Le Quéré: What does Mark Carney’s Davos “rupture” mean for tackling climate change?

10 March 2026 Professor Corinne Le Quéré CBE FRS, Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science and Professor at the University of East Anglia.

Special address during the Royal Society’s Women and the future of science conference.

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I want to talk about the future. Mark Carney – Canadian Prime Minister, former Bank of England Governor – made a special address in Davos earlier this year.  

In it, he laid out the brutal reality of a rupture that is ongoing in the world order, with the breakdown of cooperation and multilateral consensus among countries that have underpinned international relations for decades.  

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The recognition of the value of science for society can no longer be taken for granted – so today seems a good day to remind ourselves what has science ever done for us.  

The steam engine, electricity, semiconductors, computers, gene editing, vaccines.  

Science is behind all great discoveries.  

…

There is enough momentum in this transition to make a major dent in global emissions.  

But – we must now also face the reality that global warming will continue for some time and will reach levels that could have been avoided with increased cooperation.  

…

I think it is time that we look the rupture in the eye. That we call out deliberate efforts to undermine science and scientists, as they serve no one. And that we work with science to develop and implement the many solutions that work for us, and for others around our one planet. Read more: https://royalsociety.org/news/2026/03/corinne-le-quere-women-in-stem-special-address/

The motto of the Royal Society is Nullius in verba. Take nobody’s word for it. Provide evidence to back your claims. A motto they appear to have forgotten.

There is an important difference between the invention of Steam Power, Electricity and Vaccines vs the invention of climate alarmism.

The invention of Steam Power, Electricity and Vaccines made people’s lives better.

Climate Science, at least the kind of climate alarmism which was promoted by Climategate scientists at the University of East Anglia, in my opinion makes people’s lives worse.

Steam, electricity and vaccines earned people’s respect by helping people live healthier, happier, more prosperous and fulfilling lives.

The policy response to climate alarmism blights people’s lives and prosperity with higher electricity and fuel prices, more poverty and, in some sad cases, premature death from hypothermia, by forcing old people with limited resources to choose between heating and eating.

These harmful policy responses are driven by the wild predictions of unphysical computer models which cannot get fundamental features of the climate right, such as the behaviour of water vapour – a pretty important omission given water vapour has the ability to exert prolonged warming and cooling forcings which are far greater in magnitude than CO2.

If climate alarmists want to earn the respect given to the giants of science who gave us the modern world, do something good for society. Climate scientists could act to undo some of the harm their wild predictions have caused by admitting climate science is too immature to be used as an instrument of policy. Or they could at least get a few predictions right.