The authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)听听an听updated听report, the first major review of its kind since 2013,听which shows听temperatures on Earth will rise by about 1.5听degrees听Celsius听in around two decades, adding that a near-2m rise in sea levels by the end of this century 鈥渃annot be ruled out.鈥澨�
The study, which outlines听five future scenarios based on how much carbon emissions are cut, sees global warming as having听crossed the more stringent of two thresholds听set in the 2015 Paris climate accord.听
鈥淭oday鈥檚 IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a 鈥榗ode red鈥� for humanity,鈥� UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.听
鈥淭he alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable,鈥� Guterres said.听鈥淭his report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels before they destroy our planet.鈥澨�
In three scenarios, the world will also likely exceed warming of 2C degrees compared with pre-industrial times with far worse heat waves, droughts and flood-inducing听rain storms听鈥渦nless deep reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades,鈥� the report reads.听
The report, which comes听ahead of the COP26听climate听summit in November, also found that since 1970, global surface temperatures have risen faster than in any other 50-year period over the past 2,000 years.听听
The last time the IPCC, a United Nations body that coordinates research about global warming, had published this report听. At the time, the听experts听said humans were the 鈥渄ominant cause鈥� of global warming since the 1950s. The document paved the way for the Paris climate agreement signed in 2015.听
The phrase 鈥渧ery likely鈥� attached to climate disasters appears听more than 40听times in the听42-page听. In scientific terms, implying 90-100% certainty.听
It is still possible to prevent warming going beyond the 1.5C critical level if 鈥渋mmediate, rapid and large-scale reductions鈥� in emissions start now, the report reads.听
Goodbye coal, for real听
Coal has been a bone of contention in every major climate summit in the past five years, particularly at听the all-night meeting of听Group of 20 ministers last month in Naples, Italy. The group听failed to reach an agreement on phasing out coal power.听
Published a day and a half later than expected, the听statement听only听had ministers committing to听strengthen their individual climate targets.听
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged听countries to end the use of coal power, the dirtiest fossil fuel, in order to keep the 1.5潞C limit within reach. 鈥淲e know what must be done to limit global warming鈥� consign coal to history and shift to clean energy sources, protect nature and provide climate finance for countries on the frontline,鈥� he said on Monday in a .听
London-based human rights organization Global Witness called听on world leaders and big corporations to wake up to the 鈥渦ndeniable immediacy鈥� of an international听climate crisis.听
鈥淭his report will send shockwaves around the world, but it must do more than just shock. It must be the catalyst to finally see the radical climate action that is needed to avoid disaster,鈥澨鼳my Richards, Director of Communications at Global Witness said in a statement on Monday.听
The advocacy group said that to address the looming crisis, nations must听phase out the use of all fossil fuels starting now. It also calls for听zero-tolerance legislation to hold big companies liable for the environmental and human rights impacts of their value chains.听
鈥淲e have less time than we thought, but there is still time to limit the damage and prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis,鈥� Richards said.听