Scientists who advise the United Nations (UN) on temperature fluctuations have come out with a new report. It is an important summary of six studies carried out over the past five years, the BBC reports.
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The report explains that clean energy and technologies can be used to avoid a growing climate catastrophe. Experts met in Switzerland to agree on their findings. Climate experts also stressed that we are unlikely to meet the key global temperature target of keeping warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. The report explains how rapid reductions in fossil fuels can prevent the worst effects of climate change.
As the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) António Guterres explains, the new report is like “a guide for the survival of humanity”.
All countries need to come up with their own plans to reduce emissions to zero. These goals are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet’s atmosphere, the Secretary-General explained. He also emphasized that this goal should be achieved by 2040. However, several countries such as China and India have announced that they will achieve net zero plans around 2050.
“The possibility of providing a livable and sustainable future for all of us is diminishing very rapidly,” the expert report explained.
National officials had previously agreed on an action plan to keep the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, the global temperature has already risen to 1.1 degrees Celsius. Experts predict that by 2030 the global temperature could reach 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The British government commented that this expert report clearly indicated the need for countries to “pursue more ambitious climate commitments”. This should be done before the upcoming UN climate summit COP28 in November. “If you look at the net reduction of national emissions to zero, then Great Britain is the leader, but we need to go further and faster,” the press representative emphasized.
Experts predict that climate change will hit small islands in the Pacific Ocean the hardest. “While our people are being evicted from their homes and climate commitments are not being met, the fossil fuel industry is enjoying multi-billion euro profits. There is no excuse for such inaction,” commented Paolelei Luteru, Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.
The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the UN’s adviser on rising temperatures, has been agreed upon by all countries involved. Their new study focuses on the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change, published since 2018. The study highlights the current effects of climate change on the world and outlines how these effects will worsen.
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is the highest in the last two million years. The world is currently warmer than at any point in the past 125,000 years. If the situation does not change, then in the next ten years, these indicators will only increase.
“If we aim for 1.5 degrees Celsius and get to 1.6, that’s still a lot better than saying it’s too late, we’re doomed and I’m not going to try. I think this report shows clearly what could get if they try,” explained one of the report’s authors, Dr. Friederike Otto, in an interview with the BBC.
Projected CO2 emissions from existing fossil fuel infrastructure, such as oil wells and gas pipelines, would threaten the remaining amount of carbon that can still be used to stay below that temperature, the report explained.
Although scientists did not specifically mention new projects such as the US-approved Willow project or British coal mines, they have doubts about their impact on climate issues.
The document also explains that exceeding 1.5 degrees will not cause the end of the world, as it may only be a “temporary excess”.
The report’s authors say they are optimistic because big changes can be achieved quickly. As an example, citing the drop in prices for solar and wind energy. Experts say that changes in diet, food waste and a shift to low-carbon transport can reduce emission levels in many industries. However, the report notes that a wide range of technologies will be needed to accomplish all of this.
