The statements of the latest climate report are more than clear: without a radical and immediate reduction of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the climate, global warming cannot be limited to a maximum of 1.5 degrees. That would have far-reaching consequences for people, animals and nature, according to the warning. But the researchers of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report also see some positive developments. There are more and more measures to protect the climate.
In the scenarios evaluated by the scientists, global greenhouse gas emissions should peak by 2025 at the latest. Otherwise, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees is not feasible. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 43 percent by 2030. At the same time, methane emissions (methane is not considered a classic greenhouse gas, editor’s note) must be reduced by about a third.
“It’s now or never,” said report co-chair Jim Skea, referring to the Paris climate goals. “Without immediate and far-reaching reductions in emissions across all sectors, it will be impossible.” The report shows that financial flows are three to six times far below the level needed to limit warming to just below two degrees. The good news, however, is that there is enough capital and liquidity to close this investment gap. However, this requires a clear signal from governments and the international community.
Guterres: “A catalog of empty promises”
The verdict of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was harsh: “It is a document of shame, a catalog of empty promises that clearly chart the course for an uninhabitable earth,” he said in a video message accompanying the new report. “They are choking our planet,” Guterres said of governments and corporations responsible for high greenhouse gas emissions. The real dangerous radicals are not climate activists, but those countries that are expanding fossil fuel production. Such a strategy is “moral and economic madness”.
The Earth’s temperature will stabilize as the balance between the emission of harmful carbon and the reabsorption of carbon from the atmosphere is reached. For a maximum global warming of 1.5 degrees, this means that the world should have net zero emissions at the beginning of 2050, for two degrees this should be the case at the beginning of 2070.
Greenhouse gas emissions higher than ever
However, annual greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2019 were higher than at any time in human history. “But the growth rate has slowed,” the text reads. There are political and economic reasons for this: since 2010, the costs for solar and wind energy and for batteries have fallen by up to 85 percent. Newly introduced laws and regulations have improved energy efficiency, accelerated the use of renewable energy and reduced deforestation.
“We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can ensure a worthwhile future,” said IPCC chairman Hoesung Lee. The world has enough tools and knowledge to limit global warming in line with the Paris climate agreement. rules, regulations and free market tools have proven effective in the past, and their widespread use could significantly reduce emissions and further promote innovation.
The battle to complete the 64-page summary of the final volume of the Sixth Assessment Report has been long and arduous. No report in the history of the IPCC has been so extensively covered between science and politics. The publication even had to be postponed for a few hours.
The scientists present a concept for this and all 195 member states have to approve each sentence. However, the final word rests with the scientific experts. Political decision-makers have no say in the rest of the reports, which are thousands of pages long.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
