Can we Stop Climate Change?
The actions we take today to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change will play a critical role in determining the severity of the direct impacts of climate change in the future. However, the current trajectory of global emissions suggests that the actions being taken today by many countries are not sufficient to avoid dangerous levels of warming and the associated impacts.
The Paris Agreement, adopted by countries in 2015, set a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To reach this goal, countries have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to increase the use of renewable energy sources. However, the current emissions reduction commitments made by countries are not enough to meet this goal, and would lead to warming of around 3 degrees Celsius or more.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, there will still be significant impacts on natural and human systems, including more heatwaves and heavy precipitation, increased sea level rise, and more severe droughts and storms.
It is important to note that the longer we delay action, the more difficult and costly it will be to achieve the necessary emissions reductions to stay within the 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius target. Therefore, it is crucial that the actions we take today to reduce emissions are significantly increased and that actions are taken to adapt to the impacts of climate change that are already happening.
It's worth noting that there are some positive progress in recent years, such as the cost of renewable energy has decreased, more and more countries are committing to net-zero emissions, and there are more and more initiatives and policies to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Paris Agreement, adopted by countries in 2015, set a goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To reach this goal, countries have pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to increase the use of renewable energy sources. However, the current emissions reduction commitments made by countries are not enough to meet this goal, and would lead to warming of around 3 degrees Celsius or more.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, there will still be significant impacts on natural and human systems, including more heatwaves and heavy precipitation, increased sea level rise, and more severe droughts and storms.
It is important to note that the longer we delay action, the more difficult and costly it will be to achieve the necessary emissions reductions to stay within the 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2 degrees Celsius target. Therefore, it is crucial that the actions we take today to reduce emissions are significantly increased and that actions are taken to adapt to the impacts of climate change that are already happening.
It's worth noting that there are some positive progress in recent years, such as the cost of renewable energy has decreased, more and more countries are committing to net-zero emissions, and there are more and more initiatives and policies to support the transition to a low-carbon economy.