Tony Blair today published the first report from the Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative which set out the framework for a new global deal for a low carbon future.
 
The report, which Mr Blair earlier presented to Prime Minister Fukuda as President of the G8, has been drawn together with a group of recognised climate change experts, under the direction of the former British Prime Minister.
 
It answers a series of practical questions about how the world can move to a low carbon economy.
 
It identifies the actions and questions that need to be resolved by political and business leaders over the next 18 months to achieve a successful outcome to the UN climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December 2009.
 
However, Tony Blair warned of the "yawning chasm" between what scientists and environmental groups say needs to be done, what politicians say they are prepared to do, and when business leaders say they would be ready to do it.
 
The purpose of the report is to begin to bridge these gaps and outline the building blocks of a consensus.
 
Tony Blair said: "This report is explicitly designed to be a practical way through; not yet another campaigning polemic to wake the world up to the challenges of global warming.  The world has woken up.  But now it needs to know what to do.
 
"The report warns of the danger of a yawning chasm between, on the one hand the calls for radical action from scientists, environmental groups and people rightly alarmed at the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet; and on the other, the anxiety of decision makers in politics and business, who share the aims of the radical action but worry about whether that action is realistic.  The report tries to plot a way through and over this chasm.
 
"The climate demands, over time, a radical, transformative change in the nature of the world economy moving from growth built on carbon dependence, to environmentally sustainable development.
 
"But we need to be clear about the size of the task. The challenge is truly profound.  It is as technically and scientifically complex, as politically sensitive and as institutionally fraught as any the international community has had to deal with since the post-war Bretton Woods economic settlement."
 
The aim of phase two of the report to the G8 next year will be to try to help this process by showing how the building blocks can be arranged in a cohesive global deal.
 
Economist Lord Nicholas Stern, welcoming the report, said: "This document adds greatly to the international debate on climate change by addressing directly the political, economic and social concerns of world leaders. It is they who must lead in creating the international collaboration that is crucial if we are to tackle climate change. Emissions of greenhouse gases constitute the greatest market failure the world has seen. International policy action is essential to get the markets to work to deliver a powerful response and to stabilise concentrations in the atmosphere at acceptable levels. And such action can and must enhance the opportunities of all countries, particularly poor countries, to grow and develop.
 
"Taking action now is ultimately the pro-growth strategy and will limit costs. Delaying action both increases future costs of stabilisation and raises the risk of irreversible impacts which will undermine growth and development. The world faces an unprecedented challenge. This important report will give a powerful impetus to international action so that we can get a strong international agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009."
 
Steve Howard, CEO, The Climate Group which is supporting Mr Blair's initiative said: "The world is at a crossroads where its leaders - if they act now - are still able to choose a clean green future. A global climate deal is possible but all countries must play a part in reversing emissions growth.  Developed and developing countries will approach this differently, but together we must and can solve global warming and deliver long-term economic prosperity. This report shows world leaders a practical route-map to a low carbon world which will directly support vital international climate negotiations."