🔎 What’s going on?
Yesterday (9 Aug), the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its landmark report that assesses the physical science behind climate change.
🌍 Great, what are the key takeaways?
234 scientists conducted eight years of research examining over 14,000 scientific papers to produce this jam-packed 3,949-page report. This is the first update on the physical science behind climate change since 2013. The science we know now is more accurate than before. Here’s what we know:
- We are set to reach 1.5C warming by 2040
According to the report, in almost all emissions scenarios, global warming is expected to hit 1.5C “in the early 2030s”. Temperatures have already risen by around 1.1C over the last 100 years since the Industrial Revolution. If we don’t make deep cuts during this critical decade and reach net-zero by 2050 (or earlier) then limiting warming to 1.5C may become out of reach.
- Without a doubt, it’s our (=humanity) fault
The first line of the report starts with “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.” This is a marked shift from previous IPCC reports, which used to say it was “extremely likely” that industrial activity caused warming. There is no uncertainty anymore that we, humans, are causing climate change.
- We are closer to irreversible tipping points
Scientists are getting more worried about reaching tipping points - large, irreversible changes to the climate, such as sea level rising due to glaciers melting and the loss of Arctic/Antarctic sea ice. So even if we lowered carbon emissions, we can’t actually stop the process from taking place. That’s an irreversible tipping point and it would be catastrophic for us.
- Methane emissions are skyrocketing
For the first time, the IPCC has dedicated a chapter to “short-lived climate forces” which includes aerosols, particulate matter, and methane. Methane levels are now the highest they have been in the past 800,000 years. It has 84 times more global warming potential than carbon. So we need to cut methane emissions as well as carbon and all the other greenhouse gas emissions.
- Every region faces extreme climate impacts
As we have already been seeing this summer, wildfires, tropical storms, heatwaves, droughts, and flooding are becoming more frequent and severe because of climate change. This will only continue and no region is excluded.
❓ Why should I care?
The report doesn’t give any details on what we should do, it just gives an accurate snapshot of where we are right now and what could happen if greenhouse gas emissions continue rising or if we reduce them quickly. Climate change is here now and starting to affect every facet of society. But the report has made one thing clear, we have caused climate change but we are also the solution. We know what to do, we have the technology - it’s all down to execution now.
🚦 Where do we need to be?
The message is simple for governments, the private sector, and individuals - reduce greenhouse gas emissions, very quickly. In this report, scientists broke new ground by projecting what would happen if our emissions get to zero. As soon as emissions stop increasing, temperatures will stabilize in a couple of decades - however, effects such as sea-level rise will remain irreversible for hundreds of years. So this decade is the critical decade for taking action, we need to act now if we are to limit warming to 1.5C.
👤 What can I do about it?
There are two simple things organisations and individuals can do immediately:
- Switch your energy supplier to a clean renewable energy supplier. If you are based in the UK, check out the Big Clean Switch for your options.
- Swap your diet to a plant-based diet, at least 3 times a week - check out this WWF calculator to identify the impact of your diet on the planet.
Here are other ways to reduce your personal carbon footprint.
Related: UN publishes Paris style biodiversity plan
Photo by Melissa Bradley on Unsplash