Where are you, "so-called" world leaders?

The Paris Climate Agreement, agreed upon November 2015, signed April 2016, effective November 2016 ......... so, it took already one year to get it effective ....... unbelievable, but sadly true.

The Paris Climate Agreement agreed upon a global framework for limiting global warming to well below 2°C as well as pursuing best efforts to keep it at 1.5°C at maximum. This to avoid, what was called, dangerous climate!

There was a 100% agreement on a non-binding treaty and ............ meeting again in five years. Too little, too late!

So, what happened since November 2016 up and until now, what did scientists from all over the world do and what did the “so-called” world leaders do.

An overview, not intended to be complete, however showing what happened or not happened within this period of November 2016 up to and including today.

Scientists from all over the world issuing reports and studies, some excerpts:

•  2017 - According to a report by NASA- and other climate scientists the Arctic witnessed extremely high temperatures in 2017, being in consistence with the long-term trend in which it has warmed at a pace of two-to-three times that of the planet over the past 50 years. In 2017, a record wintertime high temperature and a record low wintertime sea ice growth (the third new record in three years time) were noticed and furthered the Arctic’s long-term warming and sea ice decline.
• 2018 - The IPCC issued a special report finding limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require fast, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society. The benefits to people and natural ecosystems would be clear based upon the facts that limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society. Some highlights on climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, the likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C and coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2°C. The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.
• 2019 - more reports and studies, mentioning two:
• The WMO mentions within their annual report that meteorological and social-economical consequences of climate change are getting bigger. The sea level is rising and in the past 4 years unprecedented high temperatures were measured on land and in the oceans. At the same time glaciers and polar ice caps shrunk. The WMO expects these changes to continue. As a consequence people will experience more extreme weather, such as storms, heat waves and long periods of drought. In 2018, 62 million people were victims of these extremes. UN Secretary-General Guterres calls upon the world leaders to create plans to be discussed in September 2019 for lowering greenhouse gases. No speech, but a plan, Mr. Guterres said. According to the WMO global warming is the result of greenhouse gas emissions due to activities of mankind. During 2019 these emissions will increase. If this continues with this pace, the temperature will rise 3 to 5 °C compared to the 19th century pre-industrial era. At present this temperature is at 1°C above that level.

Which will leave us with just 0.5°C to go, to reach the lowest level as agreed upon within the Paris Climate Agreement or actually there is just 0.4°C to go, as it stands today the temperature is at 1.1°C above that level. [AW]

• Within the report “United in Science”, a result of cooperation between important scientific institutions such as WMO and IPCC: the past 5 years are the warmest measured, world doing too little. The time span 2015 up to and including 2019 is the warmest 5-year period ever measured, as written by scientists on the day before the UN Climate Summit in New York. They also note that the world is doing far too little to limit the consequences of climate change, hitting us more often and harder than thought before. The scientists mention there is an urgent need for specific actions to stop global warming and the consequences of climate change. However at present that’s not been taken care of enough, according to the report. Global temperature has risen 1.1°C since 1850, sea levels rise and carbon dioxide emissions increase by 2 percent annually. The Scientific Advisory Board of the UN states the report is showing the state the earth is in as a result of the climate change caused by mankind. The world leaders need to acknowledge these facts and need to stand united behind science, UN Secretary-General Guterres said.
• 2020 - more reports and studies, mentioning two:
• Scientists conclude within the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that if global warming keeps it’s present pace during the coming 50 years, 3 billion people will be in trouble in the bleakest scenario. Their habitat will be too warm to live in 2070. According to scientists each degree Celsius the earth warms has consequenses for 1 billion people. They will have to find cooler regions or adapt to the extreme heat. Last option doesn’t seem to be possible for everyone.
• The last report thus far, July 2020 by the WMO, has climate expectations for the coming 5 years (see picture on top). The expected annual global temperature from 2020 up to and including 2024 will be 0.91 - 1.59°C above the pre-industrial value. A number of expectations have been set in relation to the 1.5°C maximum global warming from the Paris (Climate) Agreement. There is a 70 percent chance that this 1.5°C will be exceeded for a couple of months during these coming 5 years and there is a 20 percent chance that this 1.5°C will be exceeded by a yearly average temperature. We can already compare this new and latest report with the current events. Concerning the temperature deviation in 2020, the average from January up to and including June is 1.3°C above the pre-industrial level and is 0.1°C above that of 2019 for the same period.

And what did the "so-called" world leaders do during this period of time? Nothing substantial, as you can conclude from the excerpts of all the scientist reports and studies mentioned above.

So, it’s quite obvious, the pace is much too slow, see the July 2020 report, 1.5°C will be reached quite a few times up to 2025.

And thus the idea that the 1.5°C from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2050 is still possible, is very doubtful; however, there is a “tremendous opportunity” still out there to keep global warming at maximum at 1.5°C and certainly at least under 2°C as mentioned in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Dear “so-called” world leaders where are you and when are you going to take actions, actions that really matter, listen to the scientists and unite with them. A circular world has great potential, fossil fuels can be made redundant in short term and biomass, meaning chopping trees for wood pellets to be burned, won't be needed for energy production.

If you care about our planet, it's climate and environment and it's nature, put it above profit. Spend our money globally and wisely on "green" innovations and science supporting i.e. the energy transition using renewable energy (wind, solar, tidal, geothermal), limiting global transport of goods and people (local for local) and where necessary use "green" transport, think pushing hydrogen usage and this way give it your best effort to keep global warming at maximum at 1.5°C or at least below 2°C.

Will you do this for your children and grand children and/or those of your brothers and sisters ( I have none at present and looking at how the planet is doing, my choice would be not having grand children); do you want to leave them a still livable planet or do you stay in denial, look away and don’t care?

At present it’s all too little, too late ......., so it's time to wake up and grab the tremendous opportunity, but make it fast!