?? IPCC Report - Summary and Action Steps

New AR6 IPCC report April 2022

On April 4, 2022, the IPCC presented the third part of the latest report - with not unexpected, alarming results but also clearly defined and partly revolutionary demands for a change of the system.?

Priyadarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III says:

"With the right policies, infrastructure and technologies in place to enable changes in our lifestyles and behaviors, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 40-70% by 2050. This holds significant untapped potential."?

The good news is, according to the IPCC, there are still opportunities in all sectors to at least halve emissions by 2030. Some of the solutions presented include:

• Energy sector: What is needed here is nothing less than a fundamental change in the way we deal with energy procurement and consumption. This includes not only a significant reduction in fossil fuels, but also improved energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels. According to the IPCC, some of the greatest potential lies in our shift away from fuels. We need to turn away from coal, oil and gas - toward environmentally friendly alternatives such as solar, wind and hydrogen.
• Cities: Reducing emissions through lower energy consumption. This can be achieved, for example, by creating compact, walkable cities, electrifying transport in combination with low-emission energy sources, and improving carbon capture and sequestration by nature. This is possible in almost all climate zones!
• Industry: This sector is responsible for about ? of global emissions. Emissions can be reduced by using materials more efficiently, recycling products and minimizing waste. However, in order to achieve net zero in this sector, new, low-GHG production processes must also be developed ( some of which are already being developed or piloted), as well as a switch to renewable energies and additional measures to compensate.
• Agriculture & Forestry: This sector has the greatest, largely untapped potential for reducing and sequestering emissions. The rapid expansion of regenerative agriculture and with that the shift towards a climate-positive production of our food is critical to the positive impact.
• Individual Behavior: Each individual can also contribute to climate protection by reducing their own CO? footprint. Changing our consumption patterns and lifestyles, such as reducing meat consumption, using public transport or switching to green electricity, would have a significant impact - not only on the climate, but also on our health. However, it is up to politicians to set the course for this change with the right measures in infrastructure and technology.?

The report also mentions the fact that investment volumes will have to increase by a factor of 3 to 6 by 2030 if we want to limit warming to below 2 degrees. Globally, there is sufficient capital and liquidity to close these investment gaps. Again a clear signal is needed from governments, including a stronger focus on public sector financing and policy.?

The soil as CO? sink: What can companies do now??

The report once again highlights the urgency of joint action. Fast, effective and long-term solutions must be developed and implemented globally across all sectors. At this point, we can only reiterate the benefits of regenerative agriculture and how it can play an integral role in the fight against climate change.?

The agricultural sector is currently responsible for about ? of global emissions . But through implementation of Regenerative Agriculture capable of guaranteeing food security through yield security, generating increased biodiversity and leading to a long-term transformation of the agricultural sector through the potential of the soil to sequester CO?. One way to support this is the possibility of using carbon credits to create a positive effect by offsetting unavoidable emissions with domestic farmers. This provides an immediate offset measure that is made fully transparent and measurable. The IPCC report emphasizes that the goal must be a sustainable, ongoing impact. Rethinking supply chains is a fundamental step that we at Klim can support. It is important that we rededicate ourselves to regenerating our soils and harnessing their potential as the world's second largest carbon sink. Because the first meter of soil, the humus layer, contains 3 times as much CO? as the atmosphere! Learn more in our blog article about Regenerative Agriculture !??

What else is covered:

"I have seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this. Today's IPCC report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership."

- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Every six to seven years, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) publishes an assessment of the current climate science. The Sixth Assessment Report, the recently released one, is the first comprehensive one since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. The content presents contributions from three working groups and a synthesis report that summarizes the contributions of the working groups and the special reports produced in the cycle and will be published in full before COP27.?

Importance of interactions?

The paper demonstrates that human-induced climate change impacts and associated loss and damage to nature and humanity have increased since the last Assessment Report and projects the most important short- (time period: 2021-2040), medium- (time period: 2041-2060), and long-term (time period: 2081-2100) risks in terms of economic and non-economic factors.?

The focus is on the interactions between climate and ecosystems (including their biodiversity) and human society. Thus, a change in one of the areas inevitably affects at least one of the others. These interactions underlie the emerging risks of climate change, ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss.?

In doing so, the report takes into account the scientific evidence on the natural, environmental, social, and economic aspects even more than previous IPCC assessments. Climate change impacts and risks, as well as adaptation, are juxtaposed with simultaneously evolving non-climatic global trends such as biodiversity loss, unsustainable natural resource use, land and ecosystem degradation, rapid urbanization, demographic change, social and economic imbalances, and pandemic. These assessments took equal account of scientific evidence and indigenous and local knowledge.?

Status quo and outlook

Climate change has already led to climate extremes with irreversible consequences, including:

• The internationally agreed limit of 1.5°C is getting dangerously close. We have already reached 1.2°C
• Coastal areas around the world and small, low-lying islands are at risk of being flooded if temperatures rise above 1.5°C
• Important ecosystems lose their ability to absorb CO2, thus no longer serving as carbon sinks and accelerating climate change
• Multiple impacts on terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems on a global scale, mass extinctions of species, trees and corals can already be observed
• Threats to food production and supply, water supply, human and animal health and well-being
• Almost exclusively negative impacts on infrastructural conditions of cities worldwide?

Based on these findings, the report identifies opportunities for the future and highlights adaptation solutions that are effective, feasible, and consistent with the principles of justice. The report distinguishes between climate justice, distributive justice regarding the costs and benefits of different individuals, nations, and generations, and procedural justice. The latter refers to participation in decision-making processes and recognition as well as intensive debate, taking into account different cultures and perspectives. In this regard, it should be said that the development and adaptation efforts of different sectors and regions have already led to a reduction in the vulnerability of different systems.

Structural differences

In this context, the vulnerability of ecosystems and people to climate change differs significantly between and within different regions. Criteria such as socioeconomic development, unsustainable ocean and land use, social injustice and marginalization, historically induced inequality due to colonization, and political leadership play a fundamental role. Thus, approximately 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in these highly stressed contexts.?

Complexity of impacts and risks

Impacts and risks to ecological systems are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to manage as multiple climate hazards occur simultaneously and various climatic and non-climatic risks interact. This leads to an exacerbation of overall risk and a cascading of risks across sectors and regions. Some reactions to climate change are leading to new impacts and risks. Progress has been observed in adaptation planning and implementation across sectors and regions. However, it is apparent that this adaptation progress is unevenly distributed, with many initiatives prioritizing immediate and short-term climate risk reduction, but thereby diminishing the opportunity for transformative adaptation. For example, in many sectors and regions, there is increasing evidence of maladaptation to climate change that amplifies risks, is difficult and costly to change, and intensifies inequalities. These maladaptations can lead to entrenchment of vulnerability, exposure, and risk, but can be avoided through flexible, cross-sectoral, inclusive, and long-term adaptation planning and implementation.

Climate-resilient development?

The authors of the report assume that there is potential in nature itself to adapt to climate change and minimize risks. In this context, the support and restoration of weakened ecosystems and the effective protection of the world's land areas and oceans are imperative. An important role for intact ecosystems is also played by their CO? uptake capacities and storage. According to the IPCC, acceleration and sustainability of the adopting measures as well as more scientific knowledge on the impacts and solutions to climate change are crucial for climate-resilient development.?

For this to happen, governments, civil society and the private sector must make joint decisions and prioritize risk reduction, equity and justice. Decision-making processes, more funding overall, including for economically weaker states, and action across all levels and sectors of government must be integrated. International collaboration among governments at all levels, such as communities, local civil society, traditionally marginalized groups, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and ethnic minorities, as well as scientific and educational institutions, media, investors, and businesses, must be supported and encouraged.

This year's Assessment Report shows that global action for climate-resilient development is more urgent than was estimated in the last report. It highlights the natural, social and economic interconnections more clearly than was reflected in previous IPCC reports. As climate change is increasingly evident in every region of the world and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expects the situation to worsen, rapid and effective action is more necessary than ever.