How the world can defuse the climate change “time bomb”

According to Euronews, the new IPCC report, written by the world's leading climate experts, provides a clear roadmap to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the damage caused by climate change.

Speed up the action

In 2018, the IPCC made the world aware of the unprecedented challenge of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Five years later, the IPCC says the challenge is even greater as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. The pace and scale of what has been done so far is not enough to address climate change .

Scientists say more than a century of burning fossil fuels and uneven use of land and energy has led to global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius. This has led to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, affecting people around the world.

According to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the IPCC report details how humans are responsible for most of the global warming. “Humanity is sitting on thin ice and that ice is melting fast. The climate time bomb is ticking,” Mr. Guterres stressed.

Climate justice

In the coming years, climate change is expected to continue to hit the most vulnerable countries hard. “Climate equity is critical because countries that have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected,” said Aditi Mukherji, one of the 93 authors of the report.

Nearly half of the world’s population lives in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change. Over the past decade, floods, droughts and storms have killed 15 times more people in these areas than in other regions. At the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), hosted by Egypt in November 2022, a groundbreaking agreement was reached to establish a fund to help vulnerable countries cope with the effects of climate change.

Big emitters need to do more

At the launch of the IPCC report, UN Secretary-General Guterres stressed that the world needs climate action on all fronts. Mr. Guterres proposed to the Group of 20 leading developed and emerging economies (G20) a “Climate Solidarity Pact”. This agreement would see all major emitters make greater efforts to cut emissions.

Rich nations are also being urged to provide funding to help emerging economies stay on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Developed countries need to “fast-forward” to a deadline for reaching net zero emissions, the UN chief said.

“In particular, leaders of developed countries must commit to achieving net zero emissions as soon as possible by 2040, a limit that all of them should aim for,” Mr. Guterres said.

Adaptive Development

One solution mentioned by the IPCC is climate change adaptation, which involves integrating adaptation measures with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in a way that brings more benefits. Scientists note that to be effective, these measures need to be appropriate to the area in which they are applied.

“The greatest benefits could come from prioritizing climate risk reduction for low-income and marginalized groups, including those living in informal settlements,” said Christopher Trisos, one of the report’s authors. However, Trisos noted, accelerating climate change adaptation action will only happen if there is a multi-fold increase in finance. Currently, insufficient and inappropriate finance is holding back progress.

Share

According to the IPCC, the approaches that have been tried and tested around the world to deliver deep emissions cuts and natural recovery need to be scaled up. “We live in a diverse world, where everyone has different responsibilities and opportunities to make a difference,” said IPCC Chair Lee. “Some can do a lot, while others will need support.”

Transformational change is more likely to succeed when people work together to prioritize risk mitigation and when the benefits and burdens are shared equitably, Mr. Lee asserted.

LAM ANH

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