The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a new report providing multiple options for how the world can survive and adapt to climate change. 

"The climate time bomb is ticking," said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in a press release. "But today's IPCC report is a how-to guide to defuse the climate time bomb. It is a survival guide for humanity." 

The IPCC's Synthesis Report is the most comprehensive document from the agency since the 2015 Paris Agreement and is intended to serve as a set of guidelines for governments around the world to keep warming within 1.5°C. 

The agency stressed that carbon emissions have only increased since the agency established that temperature limit in 2018. Global temperatures are currently 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, which the agency said has caused more frequent and intense extreme weather events around the world. 

"Mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action will not only reduce losses and damages for nature and people, it will also provide wider benefits," said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee. "This [report] underscores the urgency of taking more ambitious action and shows that, if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all."

The UN panel is calling for "climate resilient development" to reduce emissions and increased investment in developing clean energy sources and new transportation options that emphasize walking, cycling, and public transport. 

"Transformational changes are more likely to succeed where there is trust, where everyone works together to prioritize risk reduction, and where benefits and burdens are shared equitably," Lee said. "We live in a diverse world in which everyone has different responsibilities and different opportunities to bring about change. Some can do a lot while others will need support to help them manage the change."

Share:
More In Science
Why The American West Is Running Out Of Water
Millions of people thrive in the American West’s deserts today, but not every is thriving. You’ve probably heard of droughts and wildfires in California, of groundwater drying up in Arizona, and of entire communities, like those on the Navajo Nation, that have been left without running water. The region is finally coming to terms with decades of infrastructure projects, coupled with using more water than nature can provide, as the threat of climate change moves in. Cheddar explains why the American West is running out of water.
Load More