Key Takeaways from IPCC Climate Change 2022 Report

“Climate resilient development is already challenging at current global warming levels. The prospects will become further limited if warming exceeds 1.5°C and may not be possible if warming exceeds 2°C.”

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chage (#IPCC) released 6th assessment report (AR6) this week. IPCC is UNs body for assessing the science related to climate change. The report titled Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability is the second part (out of three) result of hundreds of scientists working on this subject.?

5 Key takeaways from the report:

1.??????Climate, ecosystems, biodiversity and human societies are interdependent on each other. The degree of interdependence is much deeper than previous assessments. Climate change is combined with unsustainable use of natural resources, destruction of entire ecosystems, growing cities and inequity. Half of the world population is at a risk of high vulnerability to climate change (third of the world already faces the impact of climate change). Climate change is also adversely affecting majority of the SDG.?

2.??????The impact of climate change on biodiversity loss is multifold at different warming levels.?The shift in seasons, heat waves, etc. are putting the biodiversity at an edge of extinction.?

3.??????Climate change is moving at a much faster pace than expected and it is affecting nature’s crucial services (like clean air, water filtration, climate regulation, pollination, etc.). This is also putting human’s and other animals /ocean life at food risk & security, water scarcity.

4.??????While the action on adaptation has increased & progress is evident due to increase in innovation, piloting projects, the progress is uneven and still slow. This also means that the slow adaptations will result in missing a short and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all life forms. We will soon be hitting the soft and hard limits of adaptations. Adaptation gaps are largest in low income groups and vary largely between regions. Many initiatives prioritize immediate and near term climate risk reduction which reduces the opportunity for transformational adaptation. Maladaptation will hit the most disadvantaged groups the most.

“To avoid mounting losses, urgent action is required to adapt to climate change. At the same time, it is essential to make rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to keep the maximum number of adaptation options open.”

Adaptations must be accelerated with involvement from governments, private sector, equity and people. These will have wider benefits on SDGs (eradicating poverty, good health, reduce inequality)

5.??????Lastly, the report provides a frame work, Climate Resilient Development that involves collaboration between government, civil society and involves partnerships between different sectors of the society and industry. Such framework draws on knowledge, conserves and restores ecosystems, involves groups from different parts of the world (marginalized, views, values, etc) & requires large scale effort and co-operation.?

Starting today, every action, every decision matters.

You can download full report published by IPCC by clicking on the link below:

All images and citation credit to IPCC.