AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) sixth and final assessment report was released Monday.
The sixth assessment report is the product of the collaborative work of hundreds of climatologists and scientists who have contributed thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers to the panel.
The report states current climate actions are being implemented too slowly, and we must instead take more drastic, accelerated steps to avert a global disaster. The report wields together a more complete picture of how human-caused climate change is impacting our lives and what steps can be taken now and in the future to address it.
With the warming of the atmosphere up around 1.1°C (2.0° F) since the late 1800s, the report suggests our goal of limiting warming up to only 1.5°C (2.7° F), set as part of the Paris Climate Agreement, is highly unlikely now.
Time is running out
The report highlights the importance of urgency.
The window of opportunity to act is getting more and more narrow as climate change is already impacting our health, food security and water supply.
Rising sea levels and the increased intensity of droughts, floods and heat waves already result in increased loss of life and property. It is something that is happening now and is, unfortunately, impacting less developed nations — ones that have emitted the least amount of greenhouse gases — the most.
New targets set
The authors provide a new target for governments to aim for: cutting emissions by 60% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels in order to have a chance of meeting the 1.5-degree target.
They lay out multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but highlight there are limits and bounds to adaptation plans as global warming worsens.
Many developed countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have previously pledged to meet a 2050 deadline of net-zero emissions.
The new report, however, said this is too late of a goal. Net-zero emissions need to be met closer to 2040 if we want to best protect life, property and ecosystems. Highlighting that increased acceleration of action will also improve air quality, further protecting life.
A starting point from the report
- Provide fair solutions (nations responsible for the most greenhouse emissions contribute more money)
- Enhance and expand technologies that carbon capture
- Increase financing
- Improve international cooperation and accountability
- Hold companies and nations accountable
