BERLIN, February 28 - Man-made climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disturbances in nature, affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce risks. The people and ecosystems least able to cope are the most affected, scientists said in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published today.
"This report is a stark warning about the consequences of inaction," said Hoesung Lee, chair of the IPCC. “It shows that climate change is a serious and growing threat to our well-being and a healthy planet. Our actions today will affect how people adapt and how nature responds to increasing climate risks."
The world will inevitably face numerous climate hazards over the next two decades, with global warming reaching 1.5°C (2.7°F). Even temporarily exceeding this level of warming will cause other serious impacts, some of which will be irreversible. The risks to society will increase, including for infrastructure and low-lying coastal settlements.
The summary for policymakers of the report of IPCC Working Group II,Climate change 2022: impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilityIt was approved on Sunday February27. 2022,by 195 IPCC member governments as part of a virtual endorsement meeting held over two weeks beginning February 14.
Urgent need to act to address growing risks
Increasing heat waves, droughts and floods are already exceeding the tolerance limits of plants and animals and causing mass extinctions of species such as trees and corals. These extreme weather events occur simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage. They have exposed millions of people to severe food and water shortages, particularly in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, on small islands, and in the Arctic.
Preventing the increasing loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure requires ambitious and accelerated measures to adapt to climate change, along with rapid and deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The new report concludes that progress on adaptation has been uneven so far and that the gap between what is being done and what is needed to address rising risks is widening. These gaps are largest among low-income populations.
The report of Working Group II is the second installment of the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), due to end this year.
"This report recognizes the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and people, and integrates the natural, social and economic sciences more than previous IPCC assessments," Hoesung Lee said. "It underscores the urgency of taking immediate and more ambitious action to address climate risks. Half-measures are no longer an option."
Protecting and strengthening nature is the key to ensuring a future worth living in
There are ways to adapt to a changing climate. This report provides new insights into the potential of nature not only to reduce climate risks, but also to improve people's lives.
"Healthy ecosystems are more resilient to climate change and provide essential services such as food and clean water," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of IPCC Working Group II. "By restoring degraded ecosystems and effectively and equitably conserving 30 to 50 percent "of Earth's terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, society can benefit from nature's ability to absorb and store carbon and we can accelerate progress towards sustainable development, but adequate financing and political support are essential.
Scientists point out that climate change interacts with global trends such as unsustainable use of natural resources, increased urbanization, social inequalities, loss and damage from extreme events and pandemics, and threatens future development.
"Our assessment clearly shows that to address all of these various challenges, everyone – governments, the private sector, civil society – must work together to prioritize risk reduction and equity in decision-making and investment," Debra said. , co-chair. of IPCC Working Group II, Roberts.
“In this way, different interests, values and visions of the world can be reconciled. By bringing together scientific and technological knowledge, as well as indigenous and local knowledge, solutions become more effective. If climate resilient and sustainable development is not achieved, the result will be a sub-optimal future for people and nature.”
Cities: critical points of impact and risk, but also a critical part of the solution
This report provides a detailed assessment of the impacts, risks and adaptation of climate change in cities, where more than half of the world's population lives. The health, lives and livelihoods of people, as well as property and critical infrastructure, including energy and transportation systems, are increasingly threatened by the dangers of heat waves, storms, droughts and floods; and slow-onset changes, including sea level rise.
"Together, increasing urbanization and climate change create complex risks, particularly for cities already experiencing poorly planned urban growth, high levels of poverty and unemployment, and a lack of basic services," said Debra Roberts.
"But cities also offer opportunities for climate action: green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transportation systems that connect urban and rural areas can lead to a more inclusive and equitable society."
There is increasing evidence that adaptation has unintended consequences, such as the destruction of nature, the danger of human life or the increase in greenhouse gas emissions. This can be avoided by including everyone in planning, respecting equity and justice, and taking advantage of indigenous and local knowledge.
A narrowing window of opportunity for action
Climate change is a global challenge that requires local solutions. For this reason, the contribution of Working Group II to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) provides comprehensive regional information to enable climate resilient development.
The report makes it clear that climate resilient development is already a challenge in the face of current warming. It will be more limited if global warming exceeds 1.5°C (2.7°F). In some regions, this will be impossible if global warming exceeds 2°C (3.6°F). This important finding underscores the urgency for climate action that focuses on equality and justice. Adequate financing, technology transfer, political commitment and partnerships lead to more effective climate change adaptation and emission reductions.
“The scientific evidence is clear: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a short and quickly closing window to ensure a future worth living,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner.
For more information, contact:
IPCC Press Office, email:ipcc-media@wmo.intIPCC Working Group II:
Sina Loschke, Komila Nabiyeva:comms@ipcc-wg2.awi.de
notes for editors
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Working Group II report examines the effects of climate change on nature and people around the world. It examines future impacts at different levels of warming and the resulting risks, and offers opportunities to strengthen the resilience of nature and society to current climate change, fight hunger, poverty and inequality, and keep the Earth livable, both for today and for future generations. .
Working Group II introduces several new components in its latest report: On the one hand, a special section on the impacts, risks, and action options of climate change for cities and settlements by the sea, in tropical forests, in mountains, at points biodiversity critics. , in arid regions and deserts, in the Mediterranean and in the Mediterranean polar regions. Another Atlas is an atlas that presents data and insights into observed and projected climate change impacts and risks on a global and regional scale, providing even more information to decision makers.
The summary for policymakers of Working Group II's contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) and additional materials and information are available at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
use:The report was originally scheduled for September 2021, but was delayed by several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic when the work of the scientific community, including the IPCC, went online. This is the second time that the IPCC has held a virtual meeting to approve one of its reports.
AR6 Working Group II in figures
270 authors from 67 countries
- 47- coordinating authors
- 184– Main authors
- 39– Review Editors
Further
- 675– Contributing authors
More than 34,000 cited references
A total of 62,418 comments from experts and governments.
(First-order draft 16,348; Second-order draft 40,293; Final government distribution: 5,777)
You can find more information about the Sixth Assessment Report hereHere.
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The site containsoutreach materialssuch as IPCC videos and video recordings ofDisclosure eventsWeb seminars or live broadcast events.
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About the IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the UN body for evaluating the scientific evidence on climate change. It was founded in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide policy makers with regular scientific assessments of climate change, its impacts and risks, and to propose adaptation strategies. and mitigation. That same year, the UN General Assembly approved the actions of WMO and UNEP to jointly establish the IPCC. It has 195 member states.
Thousands of people around the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. For assessment reports, IPCC scientists voluntarily take the time to assess thousands of scientific papers that are published each year to produce a comprehensive summary of what is known and what is happening with the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks. Adaptation and mitigation can reduce these risks.
The IPCC has three working groups:Working Group I, address the physical-scientific bases of climate change;Working Group II, impact management, adaptation and vulnerability; ANDWorking group III, which deal with the mitigation of climate change. also has oneWorking Group on National Greenhouse Gas Inventorieswhich develops methods to measure emissions and distances. As part of the IPCC, a Working Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments (TG-Data) provides guidance to the Data Distribution Center (DDC) on the preservation, traceability, stability, availability and transparency of data and related scenarios with the IPCC. reports.
The IPCC assessments provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policy. The IPCC assessments are an important contribution to international negotiations to combat climate change. IPCC reports are prepared and reviewed in multiple steps, ensuring objectivity and transparency. An IPCC assessment report consists of the contributions of the three working groups and a synthesis report. The synthesis report integrates the results of the three working group reports and all special reports produced in this evaluation cycle.
About the sixth cycle of evaluations
At its 41st meeting in February 2015, the IPCC decided to produce a Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). At its 42nd session, held in October 2015, it elected a new Bureau to oversee the work on this report and the special reports that will be produced in the evaluation cycle.
Global warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impact of global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and associated global greenhouse gas emissions trajectories in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of change climate change, sustainable development and poverty eradication efforts.launched in October 2018.
climate change and earth, an IPCC Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystemswas introduced in August 2019 and theSpecial report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climateit was released in September 2019.
In May 2019, the IPCC published the2019 Alignment with the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, an update of the methodology used by governments to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
In August 2021, the IPCC published the contribution of Working Group I to AR6,Climate change 2021, the physical-scientific basis
The contribution of working group III to AR6 is planned for early April 2022.
The synthesis report of the Sixth Assessment Report will be finalized in the second half of 2022.
For more information, seewww.ipcc.ch