United Nations Climate Report says it is “Now or Never” to Combat Climate Change

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientists say that right now, there must be a “Rapid, deep and immediate” reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It is “now or never” to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. They insist that all countries must reduce their use of fossil fuels by substantial amounts, improve energy efficiency and increase the use of alternative fuels. The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, insists that governments everywhere reassess their energy policies; otherwise, the world will be unhabitable. Greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 and be reduced by 43% by 2030. Inaction could result in “Unprecedented heatwaves, terrifying storms, widespread water shortages, and the extinction of a million species of plants and animals,” Guterres adds.

This damning report was agreed upon by hundreds of leading scientists and 195 countries. It is undisputed among them that since 2010 greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity have increased “across all major sectors globally.”

“This is not a fiction or exaggeration. It is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies. We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5-degree Celsius limit,” said the United Nations chief. Guterres describes this report as a “litany of broken climate promises” and that there is a gap between climate pledges and reality. Kaisa Kosonen from Greenpeace, who observed the IPCC approval session, says, “It is game over for the fossil fuels that fuelling both wars and climate chaos.”

1.5 degrees Celsius is the limit agreed upon in the Paris Agreement, adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) in 2015 and came into force in 2016. This agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral world by the mid-century. This was a landmark agreement because it is a binding agreement, bringing nations together to combat climate change. IPCC scientists and the United Nations are telling the world that right now, countries must enact policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or this goal will not be reached.

The IPCC report presents solutions to be adopted in the next few years in these critical moments to combat climate change. The first is to rethink how cities and urban areas function, such as by lowering energy consumption and the electrification of transport. Lifestyle changes are another method that could result in a 40 to 70% reduction; governments must encourage healthy eating and walking. They have also welcomed the significant decrease in the cost of renewable energy, with solar panels and wind turbines falling in cost by 85% in the last decade. While these are some suggestions to address climate change, the IPCC scientists call for swift action in response to this report.

Climate change has been an issue heavily debated and discussed since the first World Climate Conference in 1979. However, in the 43 years since, there remains a failure on the part of powerful nations to make meaningful policies to address climate change and adhere to promises made at the numerous conferences that have occurred since 1979, most significantly the Paris Agreement. It is now 2022, the Earth is running out of time, and in-action is no longer an option.

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