缅北禁地

鈥淭his听听is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction,鈥� said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ().

鈥淚t shows that climate change is a grave and mounting threat to our wellbeing and a healthy planet. Our actions today will shape how people adapt and nature responds to increasing climate risks,鈥� he said, adding: 鈥淗alf measures are no longer an option.鈥�

According to the report,听human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting billions of lives all over the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks, with people and ecosystems least able to cope being hardest hit.

This is the second in a series of three reports from the the UN鈥檚 top climate scientists and its launch comes just over 100 days since the 缅北禁地climate action summit in Glasgow,听, agreed to step up action to limit global warming to 1.5掳C and stave off the worst effects of climate change.

UN听Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres听called the first report, issued last August, a 鈥溾��, and said that 鈥淚f we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe.鈥�

鈥楥lobbered by climate change鈥�

His take on the latest report is equally stark: he laments that the evidence detailed by听听is unlike anything he has ever seen, calling it an听鈥渁tlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership.鈥�

With fact upon fact, this report, which focuses on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, reveals how people, and the planet, are getting 鈥渃lobbered鈥� by climate change.

鈥淣early half of humanity is living in the danger zone 鈥� now. Many ecosystems are at the point of no return 鈥� now. Unchecked carbon pollution is forcing the world鈥檚 most vulnerable on a frog march to destruction 鈥� now,鈥� he declared.

Criminal abdication of leadership

Mr. Guterres said the world鈥檚 biggest polluters are guilty of arson of our only home.

In the face of such dire evidence, it is essential to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, and the science shows that will require the world to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

鈥淏ut according to current commitments, global emissions are set to increase almost 14 per cent over the current decade. That spells catastrophe. It will destroy any chance of keeping 1.5 alive,鈥� said the 缅北禁地chief.

One of the report鈥檚 core truths is that coal and other fossil fuels are choking humanity, the Secretary-General explained,听calling on all G20 governments to live up to their agreements to stop funding coal abroad, and the must now urgently do the same at home and dismantle their coal fleets.

Moreover, he said that oil and gas giants 鈥� and their underwriters 鈥� are also on notice. 鈥淵ou cannot claim to be green while your plans and projects undermine the 2050 net-zero target and ignore the major emissions cuts that must occur this decade. People see through this smokescreen.鈥�

Instead of slowing down the decarbonization of the global economy, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a renewable energy future, he said declaring fossil fuels听a "dead end for our planet, for humanity, and yes, for economies,"听and calling for developed countries, Multilateral Development Banks, private financiers and others to form coalitions to help major emerging economies end the use of coal.

Adaptation saves lives

The second core finding from he IPCC report is slightly better news: investments in adaptation work.

鈥淎s climate impacts worsen 鈥� and they will 鈥� scaling up investments will be essential for survival. Adaptation and mitigation must be pursued with equal force and urgency. That鈥檚 why I have been pushing to get to 50 per cent of all climate finance for adaptation,鈥� Mr. Guterres explained.

Noting that the Glasgow commitment on adaptation funding is clearly not enough to meet the challenges faced by nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis he said that he is also pressing to remove the obstacles that prevent small island states and least developed countries from getting the finance they desperately need to save lives and livelihoods.

Delay means death

鈥淲e need new eligibility systems to deal with this new reality.听Delay means death鈥� he said.

Saying that he is taking inspiration from all those on the frontlines of the climate battle fighting back with solutions, the Secretary-General said that he knew people everywhere were anxious and angry.

鈥淚 am, too. Now is the time to turn rage into action. Every fraction of a degree matters. Every voice can make a difference. And every second counts."

Urgent action to tackle increasing risks

The IPCC says that听increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are already exceeding plants鈥� and animals鈥� tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals. These weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage.

They have exposed millions of people to acute food and water insecurity, especially in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, on Small Islands and in the Arctic.

To avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure, ambitious, accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

So far, progress on adaptation is uneven and there are increasing gaps between action taken and what is needed to deal with the increasing risks, the new report finds. These gaps are largest among lower-income populations.

鈥淭his report recognizes the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and people and integrates natural, social and economic sciences more strongly than earlier IPCC assessments,鈥� said Hoesung Lee.

鈥楲et nature do its job鈥�

There are options to adapt to a changing climate. This report provides new insights into nature鈥檚 potential not only to reduce climate risks but also to improve people's lives, the IPCC says.

鈥淗ealthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change and provide life-critical services such as food and clean water鈥�, said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Hans-Otto P枚rtner.

鈥淏y restoring degraded ecosystems and effectively and equitably conserving 30 to 50 per cent of Earth鈥檚 land, freshwater and ocean habitats, society can benefit from nature鈥檚 capacity to absorb and store carbon, and we can accelerate progress towards sustainable development, but adequate finance and political support are essential.鈥�

Scientists point out that听climate change interacts with global trends听such as unsustainable use of natural resources, growing urbanization, social inequalities, losses and damages from extreme events and a pandemic, jeopardizing future development.

鈥淥ur assessment clearly shows that tackling all these different challenges involves everyone 鈥� governments, the private sector, civil society 鈥� working together to prioritize risk reduction, as well as equity and justice, in decision-making and investment,鈥� said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts.

Inger Andersen, the head of the 缅北禁地Environment Progarmme () agreed that听, and letting nature do its job, are vital to staving off catastrophe.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 keep taking the hits and treating the wounds. Soon those wounds will be too deep, too catastrophic, to heal, she said during a press conference in Geneva on the launch of the IPCC report.

Ms. Andersen said that the best way to 鈥淲e need to soften and slow the blows by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But we also need to cushion the blows by picking up our efforts to adapt to climate change 鈥� which have been too weak for too long.

The best way to do this is to 鈥渟often the blow鈥� is to let nature do the job it spent millions of years perfecting. Absorbing and channelling rainwater and surging waves. Maintaining biodiversity and balance in soils so that diverse plants can grow. Providing cooling shade under leafy canopies.

鈥淲e need large-scale ecosystem restoration from ocean to mountaintop 鈥� including through agreeing to start negotiations on a global plastic pollution agreement at the fifth听鈥� (which opened today in Nairobi).

She also spotlighted the need to bring nature into baking hot cities to keep them cool. 鈥淲e need to conserve mangroves, coral reefs and nature鈥檚 other defences. We need to protect and restore wetlands for nature and incorporate wetlands in our cities.鈥�

Cities: Hotspots of climate risks; crucial to the solution

The report provides a detailed assessment of climate change impacts, risks and adaptation in cities, and urban areas, where more than half the world鈥檚 population lives.

鈥淭ogether, growing urbanization and climate change create complex risks, especially for those cities that already experience听poorly planned urban growth, high levels of poverty and unemployment, and a lack of basic services,鈥� Ms. Roberts said.

鈥淏ut cities also provide opportunities for climate action 鈥� green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transport systems that connect urban and rural areas can all lead to a more inclusive, fairer society.鈥�

Rapidly closing window for action

Overall, the report, which provides听听to enable Climate Resilient Development, underlines the urgency for climate action, focusing on equity and justice.

Adequate funding, technology transfer, political commitment and partnership lead to听more effective climate change adaptation and emissions reductions.

鈥淭he scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future,鈥� said Hans-Otto P枚rtner.

About the IPCC

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the 缅北禁地body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme () and the World Meteorological Organization () in 1988 to provide political leaders with periodic scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies.

In the same year the 缅北禁地General Assembly endorsed the action by the听WMO听and UNEP in jointly establishing the IPCC. It has 195 member states.

Thousands of people from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. For the assessment reports, IPCC scientists volunteer their time to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks.

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