A new flagship UN report on climate change out Monday indicating that harmful carbon emissions from 2010-2019 have never been higher in human history, is proof that the world is on a 鈥渇ast track鈥� to disaster,听Ant贸nio Guterres has warned, with scientists arguing that it鈥檚 鈥榥ow or never鈥� to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Reacting to the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (),听the UN Secretary-General听insisted that unless governments everywhere reassess their energy policies, the world will be uninhabitable.
His comments reflected the IPCC鈥檚 insistence that all countries must reduce their fossil fuel use substantially, extend access to electricity, improve energy efficiency and increase the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen.
Unless action is taken soon, some major cities will be under water, Mr. Guterres said in a video message, which also forecast 鈥渦nprecedented heatwaves, terrifying storms, widespread water shortages and the extinction of a million species of plants and animals鈥�.
Horror story
The UN chief added: 鈥淭his is not fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are听on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5-degree (Celsius, or 2.7-degrees Fahreinheit) limit鈥� that was agreed in Paris in 2015.听
Providing the scientific proof to back up that damning assessment, the IPCC report 鈥� written by hundreds of leading scientists and agreed by 195 countries - noted that greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity, have increased since 2010 鈥渁cross all major sectors globally鈥�.
Urban issue
An听increasing share of emissions can be attributed to towns and cities, the report鈥檚 authors continued, adding just as worryingly, that emissions reductions clawed back in the last decade or so 鈥渉ave been less than emissions increases, from rising global activity levels in industry, energy supply, transport, agriculture and buildings鈥�.
Striking a more positive note - and insisting that it is still possible to halve emissions by 2030 - the IPCC urged governments to ramp up action to curb emissions.
The UN body also welcomed the significant decrease in the cost of renewable energy sources since 2010, by as much as 85 per cent for solar and wind energy, and batteries.
Encouraging climate action
鈥淲e are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future,鈥� said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee. 鈥淚 am encouraged by climate action being taken in many countries. There are policies, regulations and market instruments that are proving effective. If these are scaled up and applied more widely and equitably, they can support deep emissions reductions and stimulate innovation.鈥�
To limit global warming to around 1.5C (2.7掳F), the IPCC report insisted that global greenhouse gas emissions would have to peak 鈥渂efore 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43 per cent by 2030鈥�.
Methane would also need to be reduced by about a third, the report鈥檚 authors continued, adding that even if this was achieved, it was 鈥渁lmost inevitable that we will temporarily exceed this temperature threshold鈥�, although the world 鈥渃ould 听return to below it by the end of the century鈥�.
Now or never
鈥淚t鈥檚 now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5掳C (2.7掳F); without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible,鈥� said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III, which released the latest report.听
Global temperatures will stabilise when carbon dioxide emissions reach net zero. For 1.5C (2.7F), this means achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally in the early 2050s; for 2C (3.6掳F), it is in the early 2070s, the IPCC report states.
鈥淭his assessment shows that limiting warming to around 2C (3.6F) still requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by a quarter by 2030.鈥�
Policy base
A great deal of importance is attached to IPCC assessments because they provide governments with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies.
They also play a key role in international negotiations to tackle climate change.
Among the sustainable and emissions-busting solutions that are available to governments, the IPCC report emphasised that rethinking how cities and other urban areas function in future could help significantly in mitigating the worst effects of climate change.
鈥淭hese (reductions) can be achieved through lower energy consumption (such as by creating compact, walkable cities), electrification of transport in combination with low-emission energy sources, and enhanced carbon uptake and storage using nature,鈥� the report suggested. 鈥淭here are options for established, rapidly growing and new cities,鈥� it said.
Echoing that message, IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair, Priyadarshi Shukla, insisted that 鈥渢he right policies, infrastructure and technology鈥o enable听changes to our lifestyles and behaviour, can result in a 40 to 70 per cent reduction听in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 鈥淭he evidence also shows that these lifestyle changes can improve our health and wellbeing.鈥�
