The latest report all but screams the need for governments to change their energy mix toward less carbon-reliant sources.

Effective renewable energy systems must be created to combat change, the UN's latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says.

The price is right, the IPCC finds.

Their recent study, based on the work of over 1000 experts, says the radical shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy sources including wind, solar and nuclear power would only cut 0.06 per cent from world economic growth each year.

The report has been welcomed by several international leaders, despite it showing they are not doing enough.

“This report makes very clear we face an issue of global willpower, not capacity,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

“The report is clear: there really is no plan B for climate change. There is only plan A: collective action to reduce emissions now,” European Union climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon says he hopes leaders will develop “ambitious announcements and actions” for the next summit in New York, which will outline ways to reduce global climate change.

The IPCC report (in PDF form, here) says all nations have a long way to go.

Low-carbon energies, which in 2010 accounted for around 17 per cent of the world’s energy supplies, will have to triple or quadruple their share by 2050 to displace conventional fossil fuels as the primary source of energy, IPCC scenarios suggest.

Despite the scale of the challenge, the draft report is fairly optimistic; “Since [2007], many renewable energy technologies have substantially advanced in terms of performance and cost and a growing number have achieved technical and economic maturity, making renewable energy a fast growing category in energy supply,” it says.

The UN committee’s draft report finds increasing carbon emissions are the result of rising coal use, and more demand for energy from the growing global population.

It notes that policies for cutting carbon emissions will work to reduce the basic value of fossil fuels, particularly coal. It says natural gas extraction can cut emissions in the “short term” by replacing coal, but as it is a finite resource too, it cannot be a permanent solution.

A member of the intergovernmental IPCC panel, Australia will sign off on the latest report soon, though it does not appear to be heading in the suggested direction.

The CEO of the Climate Council, which was set up after the Federal Government cut its Climate Commission, says that Australia has the greatest opportunity for change, but is heading swiftly backwards.

“Australians have already taken steps to increase renewable energy and this report shows we need to do more,” Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie has told business media outlets.

“It’s clear that the renewables race has begun,” she says.

“Shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a key part of tackling climate change and has other benefits, for instance growing new jobs, industries and investment.

“Australians know that solar power is just common sense here, so there is a lot of community support for greater investment in renewables.

“On the other side of the ledger, Australia is also home to some very inefficient and aging coal fired power plants. That means our current electricity supply is one of the most emissions intensive and least efficient in the world.”