Why IPCC wants to speed up climate efforts

What are these assessment reports?

The IPCC was founded in 1988 by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization. Its 195 member-states appoint climate scientists and experts to review and report on climate change observations over a period of six to eight years, called an assessment cycle. Each cycle has three working reports and a synthesis report, bringing it all together. The first report in 1990 established climate change as a global challenge requiring international cooperation. Research for the sixth cycle began in 2017 and is about to end. These reports are vital for govts to take up climate action.

What is the synthesis report?

The final instalment of the AR6, also called the synthesis report, brings together the key findings of the preceding three working group reports and three special reports.

The comprehensive review of the sixth assessment period sends a clear message: what we do in the coming few years will determine our liveable future. The final instalment is significant because the next update is not likely before 2030, by when the world must make critical decisions for limiting global warming within 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels. The report’s findings are accepted as the foundation for their actions.

Why are the warnings addressed as urgent?

More than 3 billion people live in areas that are “highly vulnerable” to climate change, and millions face food and water scarcity, the latest report says. Inaction will make extreme weather events more frequent. The good news: “there are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change”.

What are the IPCC’s latest forecasts?

IPCC climate models are our best tools to give us clarity on climate behaviour through predictions for various scenarios. They show that emissions should be cut by nearly half by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the best-case scenario for the Earth’s future. If emissions continue to rise at the current pace, the worst-case warming could go up to 4.5-5°C by 2100. Record emissions in the past decade mean that the 1.5°C goal now needs emissions to peak before 2025 and be cut by 43% by 2030.

How should the world step up its efforts?

The Earth’s climate has already warmed up to 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, resulting in more frequent and intense extreme weather events, with a further rise in sea levels expected. The most vulnerable communities live in some of the least developed and low-lying island countries, home to roughly 1 billion people, who, ironically, account for less than 1% of global warming. Governments must pace up climate goals, adopt measures to ensure climate justice and reduce the impact of the ongoing climate crisis.