The world is not transitioning to a low-carbon economy fast enough, as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report, which focuses on how best to reduce carbon emissions, should make clear.
The global assessment released Monday — the third of three major reports released in the past eight months — will place a major focus on solutions and examine technical options, including removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
A total of 278 scientists from 65 countries worked overnight on Saturday to finalize the “Summary for Policymakers” on time, while 195 governments, including Ireland, continued a line-by-line assessment ahead of its approval.
It defines measures to reduce emissions from the energy sector, agriculture and soil, cities, buildings, industry and transport. It will also examine the key role of trees in carbon sequestration and is expected to emphasize the importance of changing consumer behavior to ensure acceptance for large-scale decarbonisation.
However, the use of new technologies to reduce man-made emissions might be the most controversial aspect, as it is largely unproven and climate activists claim it could distract from more immediate needed action; in particular, accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels by halving emissions by 2030 to ensure the world is on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Gareth Redmond-King, international head of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the WG3 report highlights solutions to the crisis that leading climate scientists have already highlighted. The two previous reports as part of the so-called AR6 Global Review dealt with the causes and effects of climate change.
sea level rises
WG3, he said, “detailes how we will respond to the alarm and avoid the apocalyptic future we are headed toward if we don’t act.” It is clear that the solutions are cheaper than the impacts – that action to address the climate crisis is cheaper than inaction.”
He added: “It is now up to political leaders – particularly the leaders of the G20 as the largest economies and largest emitters – to decide how bad we let things get.”
Regarding sea level rise, last year’s WG1 report said the world could see an average rise of almost 2m by 2100, although this is uncertain.
“My colleagues now seem to think that while accurate statements about the science are also viewed as dramatic, that is just reality and we shouldn’t pull any punches,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a climate scientist at Princeton University.
However, some scientists fear that countries interested in fossil fuels – the main driver of global warming – will try to downplay the impact or dangers in the report’s summary. During closed negotiations on the WG2 report on Adaptation to a Warmer World, released in February, oil-producing countries Russia and Saudi Arabia sought to put more emphasis on positive climate impacts. Most of their proposals were not accepted.
“Major Crisis”
Deborah Brosnan, associate professor of biology at Virginia Tech University in the US, told the Observer on Sunday that people are shocked by the Ukraine war and worried about rising prices, but the climate crisis also needs urgent attention.
“The war in Ukraine is a terrible tragedy unfolding before our eyes and families rightly fear inflation will push them into poverty. Yet we seem blind to the fact that an even larger and more existential crisis is unfolding today – one that will lead to a global humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale,” she added
“We are on track to exceed 2 degrees warming even if all countries meet their Paris Agreement emissions reduction commitments,” said the Stop Climate Chaos coalition of Irish civil society organizations ahead of the WG3 release . This would be “catastrophic and will be measured as a massive loss of livelihoods, biodiversity, ecosystems and food security,” he added. – Additional reporting PA
Comments are closed.