World must face up to cost of carbon reductions, says European climate expert

Former European commissioner Connie Hedegaard agrees with Tony Abbott that wind turbines are not 'beautiful', but calls power plants 'visually awful'

The former European commissioner for climate action Connie Hedegaard has urged countries to acknowledge the cost of reducing emissions to fight climate change, and called on politicians to shift away from short-term thinking.

Speaking at the City of Sydney's CityTalks 2015 on Tuesday, Hedegaard urged action to reduce emissions in the lead-up to the Paris climate conference in December.