UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged rich nations to slash emissions sooner after a new assessment from scientists said there was little time to lose in tackling climate change.
“The rate of temperature rise in the last half century is the highest in 2,000 years,” he said. “Concentrations of carbon dioxide are at their highest in at least 2 million years. The climate time bomb is ticking.”
Guterres described the sixth “synthesis report” from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as “a survival guide for humanity” and urged developed countries to commit to reaching net zero emissions by the earlier date of around 2040.
The synthesis report summarized findings from three expert assessments published between 2021 and 2022 that looked at the physical science, impacts, and mitigation of climate change. The summary report, distilled from thousands of pages of previous assessments after a week of deliberations in Interlaken, Switzerland, is designed to provide clarity for policymakers as they consider further action to slash emissions.
According to the IPCC, emissions must be halved by the mid-2030s if the world is to have any chance of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – a key target enshrined in the Paris accord.
“If we act now, we can still secure a livable sustainable future for all,” said IPCC chair Hoesung Lee.
On current trajectories, the planet is on track to warm by 3.2C by century’s end, and temperatures could still rise by at least 2.2C, even if existing pledges are met.
The IPCC says the world needs to accelerate the transition to green energy and transform agriculture and eating habits if it has any chance of making the necessary cuts in emissions. It also warned of more extreme weather, rapidly rising sea levels, melting Arctic ice, and the growing likelihood of catastrophic and irreversible “tipping points,” adding that nearly half the world’s population is already vulnerable to climate impacts.
Warning after warning, reminder after reminder, but the human race continues to lag behind when it comes to urgent climate action. Filipinos, who are already bearing the brunt of the changes in terms of extreme weather events, can no longer afford to remain complacent and pin the blame and expect action only on developed nations.
This is a global concern that everyone in the planet has to take seriously.*
