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Spotlight on the IPCC: Network coverage on defusing the climate-time bomb
Reporting on the global context
World’s climate plans won’t keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees - major UN report
By Lauren Boland for TheJournal.ie [English]
Responding to the report, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said countries must “hit the fast-forward button” on their targets to reach net-zero emissions, telling wealthy countries to commit to net-zero by 2040.
Currently, Ireland and the EU as a whole are aiming to get emissions to net-zero ten years later than that in 2050. Some have more ambitious targets in place, such as Finland (2035) and Germany (2045).
The report comes before an important ‘stocktake’ of global progress on climate later this year in the years since the 2015 Paris Agreement, when countries agreed to take steps to limit global warming to no more than 2 degrees and to aim to stay within 1.5.
‘Quantum leap’ needed for climate action
By Catherine Early for China Dialogue [English]
IPCC chair Hoesung Lee said: “This report can be summarised as a message of hope. It clearly emphasises that we do have technology and know-how and tools to solve the planet’s problems.”
For example, analysis of energy use for businesses found that there was significant room for efficiencies, with potential for consumption cuts of 40–70% in some sectors, he said.
However, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise across all sectors and subsectors, and most rapidly in transport and industry, the IPCC said. As a result, the scientists expect global warming to continue to increase between 2021 and 2040.
The Fraught Negotiations Behind the New IPCC Report
By Ajit Niranjan for Heatmap News [English]
The summary for policymakers came out of the approval process “not as it went in, but not significantly altered,” said Anna Pirani, head of the IPCC’s Working Group One Technical Support Unit. “It’s not a simple, trivial process, even though the material has all been approved before.”
A summary of the session by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the only media allowed into the room, and confirmed by five people present, documents several instances of countries pushing to water down language. The Saudi Arabian negotiators were particularly skilled, three people at the meeting said, boasting a deep knowledge of the underlying report and using carefully crafted arguments.
The key statements of the IPCC report
By Bernhard Pötter for Climate.Table [English/German]
80 percent of the 1.5 degree budget has already been used up
80 percent of the historical CO2 budget for 1.5 degrees has already been used up (to reach the target with only a 50 percent probability). For the 2-degree budget, two-thirds have been used up.
There is a “rapidly closing window of opportunity” for a “liveable and sustainable future for all”. More funding and better adaptation are needed: “The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.”
Further delaying emission reduction and adaptation could lead to locking in “high-emissions infrastructure,” a higher risk of stranded assets (“sunk costs”) and overall cost escalation. Fast action therefore means high direct investment and “potentially disruptive changes” that need to be mitigated by “a range of enabling policies”.
全球升溫危機「Z世代」受衝擊最大國內學者籲加強調適
"Generation Z" is the most affected by the global warming crisis, domestic scholars call for more adaptation
By Su-Chun Lee for EIC [Chinese]
台灣科技媒體中心今（21日）邀請國內專家解析該報告，中央研究院環變中心人為氣候變遷專題中心執行長許晃雄指出，1.5℃的地球將成為「新常態」。眼前已不只是暖化危機，而是「全球炙熱化」的時代，推估1990年中後期出生的「Z世代」將是面臨全球最嚴重暖化的世代，不僅要在炙熱化的情境下照顧自己及下一代，還要照顧戰後嬰兒潮出生的大量年長者。
許晃雄指出，政府必須立即大幅降低溫室排放減少衝擊，爭取更多調適機會，才能避免住進氣候「加護病房」，讓人類得以在升溫1.5℃的「一般病房」中休生養息。
Ce que nous pourrions faire pour atténuer rapidement le réchauffement
What we could do to mitigate global warming quickly
By Valéry Laramée de Tannenberg for L'Usine à GES [French] – Behind a paywall
De quels moyens disposons-nous? Des énergies renouvelables au nucléaire, en passant par le Carbon Farming, la rénovation des logements, les voitures électriques, la captation des fuites de méthane ou le stockage géologique du CO, les auteurs de la synthèse rappellent le potential d’atténuation des technologies du moment. Enorme!
La seule massification de l’éolien et du solaire pourrait éviter de rejeter plus de 8 milliards de tonnes de Ges par an à l’horizon de 2030. Ce potentiel d’abattement est dix fois supérieur à celui de l’énergie nucléaire! En déployant massivement ces technologies disponibles et en faisant les bons choix d’investissement (vers la rénovation efficace des logements, par exemple) le Giec estime que nous pourrions éviter d’émettre 40 milliards de tonnes de Ges par an à la fin de la décennie. Soit l’équivalent de 68% des émissions anthropiques comptabilisées en 2019!
Rilasciato il report dell’IPCC: l’ultimo appello alla politica a non superare gli 1,5°C
IPCC report released: latest appeal to politicians not to exceed 1.5°C
By Giorgia Colucci for EURACTIV Italy [Italian]
La cooperazione internazionale, una “governance multilivello e ben allineata” politicamente e risorse finanziarie adeguate per affrontare le sfide del climate change sono fondamentali: sarà necessaria una transizione verde di sistema, che coinvolga tutti i sistemi produttivi ed economici, grazie anche alle nuove tecnologie. Bisognerà inoltre garantire giustizia climatica e compensazioni ai popoli più colpiti dagli effetti del riscaldamento globale.
“Una mitigazione profonda, rapida e sostenuta e un’attuazione accelerata delle azioni di adattamento in questo decennio ridurrebbero le perdite e i danni previsti per gli esseri umani e gli ecosistemi e produrrebbero molti co-benefici, soprattutto per la qualità dell’aria e la salute”, scrivono gli scienziati nel report.
वैज्ञानिकभन्छन्- जलवायुपरिवर्तनकोगम्भीरप्रभावरोक्नतत्कालकामगर्नुपर्छ
Scientists say - urgent action should be taken to prevent the serious effects of climate
By Tanka Dhakal for Himal Khabar [Nepali]
प्रतिवेदनमा हरितगृह ग्यासको उत्सर्जन सन् २०३० सम्म अहिलेको तुलनामा आधाले कटौती नगरिए तापक्रमवृद्धि १.५ डिग्री सेल्सियसमा सीमित गर्ने लक्ष्य पूरा नहुने उल्लेख छ। जलवायु परिवर्तन सम्बन्धी सन् २०१५ मा भएको पेरिस सम्झौतामा गम्भीर सङ्कटबाट पृथ्वीलाई जोगाउन यो शताब्दीको अन्त्यसम्म विश्वव्यापी तापक्रम वृद्धि औद्योगिक युगपूर्वको तुलनामा १.५ डिग्री सेल्सियसमा सीमित गर्नुपर्ने लक्ष्य राखिएको छ। औद्योगिक युगपूर्वको तुलनामा हाल पृथ्वीको तापक्रम १.१ डिग्री सेल्सियसले वृद्धि भइसकेको आईपीसीसीको प्रतिवेदनमा उल्लेख छ।
Mamy raport AR6: Światu pozostaje adaptacja do zmian klimatu i walka z emisją tam, gdzie to możliwe
We have the AR6 report: The world is left to adapt to climate change and fight emissions where possible
By Wojciech Jakóbik for BiznesAlert.pl [Polish]
Nowy raport IPCC opisuje straty i szkody wywołane zmianami klimatu oraz rekomenduje działania pozwalające je ograniczyć. Eksperci organizacji ostrzegają, że ponad połowa populacji na ziemi mieszka w regionach najbardziej dotkniętych zmianami klimatu. Jeżeli wzrost temperatury na globie ma zostać utrzymany poniżej 1,5 stopnia Celsjusza, cięcia emisji gazów cieplarnianych muszą ruszyć teraz i doprowadzić do spadku emisji o połowę do 2030 roku.
IPCC rekomenduje „odporny rozwój”, czyli adaptację do zmian klimatu połączoną z redukcją emisji gazów cieplarnianych poprzez „niskoemisyjną elektryfikację”, promocję transportu publicznego, rowerów. IPCC upomina się o ochronę najuboższych i zmarginalizowanych społeczności przed skutkami zmian klimatu. Potrzebne jest zatem „wielokrotne zwiększenie finansowania”.
Yeni IPCC Raporu yayınlandı: Yenilenebilir kaynaklar daha güvenli bir geleceğin anahtarı
New IPCC Report released: Renewables key to a safer future
By Didem Taşbaşı for Temiz Enerji Haber Portalı [Turkish]
Rapora göre, dirençli ve yaşanabilir bir gelecek hala mümkün, ancak bu on yıl içinde derin, hızlı ve sürekli emisyon kesintileri sağlamak için atılacak adımlar, insanlığın ısınmayı 1,5°C ile sınırlaması için hızla daralan bir pencereyi temsil ediyor.
Rapor, yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları ve diğer azaltım eylemlerinin iyi eylemlere yol açtığının da altını çiziyor. Yenilenebilir enerji yatırımları artık çok daha uygulanabilir, giderek daha uygun maliyetli hale geliyor ve genel olarak kamu tarafından destekleniyor. 2010-2019 yılları arasında, güneş ve rüzgâr enerjisinin birim maliyetleri sırasıyla yüzde 85 ve yüzde 55 oranında azaldı ve lityum iyon pillerin birim maliyetleri yüzde 85 oranında düştü.
Son uyarı
Final warning
By Özgür Gürbüz for BirGün Gazetesi [Turkish]
İklim krizinin bilimsel gerçekliğini araştıran ve yapılması gerekenleri sıralayan en önemli kurumdan son bir uyarı daha geldi. Önce iyi haberi verelim. Hükümetlerarası İklim Değişikliği Paneli (IPCC), ortalama yüzey sıcaklığındaki artışı 1,5 derecenin altında tutma şansımız hâlâ var diyor. Kötü haber ise zamanımızın giderek azaldığı. Seragazı emisyonlarını 2030 yılında, 2019 seviyesinin yüzde 43 altına çekmeliyiz. Seragazlarını nereyse yarı yarıya azaltmak için önümüzde yedi yıl kaldı.
Reporting on a regional context
'Climate needs to be at the heart of all decision-making' - Irish expert
By Lauren Boland for TheJournal.ie [English]
Ireland is already seeing increasing evidence of the impacts of climate change, Professor Thorne said today, from Storm Desmond in 2015 to the heatwave of summer 2022.
The government has adopted legally-binding carbon budgets to regulate the amount of emissions the country can afford to produce up to 2035 and allocated a set amount of emissions to each sector, known as the ‘sectoral emissions ceilings’.
However, the land use and forestry sector – which, depending on how human interact with the natural world, can either be a source of emissions or can store greenhouse gases, preventing them from being released – has not yet been allocated a ceiling nearly nine months later.
IPCC Synthesis Report 2023: Climate Change’s Impacts Immense for Asia
By Nithin Coca for Climate Impacts Tracker Asia [English]
Several Asian countries are on the proverbial front lines of climate change. The Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam are at high risk of seeing their infrastructure and communities threatened by sea level rise. Meanwhile, Australia could see more wildfires due to increased droughts. The IPCC Synthesis Report 2023also warned that climate change would impact global food security. South Asia is noted as a region that is particularly vulnerable.
“Climate change impacts are wreaking an ever-increasing human, financial and environmental toll, worsening food security and poverty and holding back sustainable development in Asia,” said Dr Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, president of the World Meteorological Organization’s Regional Association for Asia.
These impacts are not spread evenly, and throughout Asia, it is often poorer people who are the most vulnerable. Impacts, including floods, heatwaves, droughts and fires, are already happening, causing significant economic damage across the region.
IPCC report underscores urgency of energy transition in Latin America
By Francisco Parra Galaz for Diálogo Chino [English/Portuguese/Spanish]
According to María Inés Rivadeneira, policy officer at WWF Latin America and the Caribbean, the region must also think about transitioning its development model. “It is not only about the energy model, because we have a very high dependence on people who work directly or indirectly in these sectors,” she told Diálogo Chino. “So, it’s not just about turning off the lights and changing business practices. We have to think about how this means a diversification of jobs, a transformation of infrastructure.”
The region, thus far, is not fulfilling the IPCC report’s call to action on phasing out fossil fuels. According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), existing fossil fuel infrastructure expansion plans in Latin America are not compatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Natural gas is considered by many governments in the region to be “transition fuel” from coal and oil, with a pipeline underway in Argentina and expansion plans in Mexico, for example. However, a UN report found that renewable energy could bring more economic, environmental and employment benefits to Latin America than plans to develop natural gas infrastructure.
The IPCC has spoken. What now?
By Lou del Bello for The Lights On [English]
South Asia, home to the world’s third largest reservoir of snow and ice, and with its densely populated coasts, is a hotspot of climate vulnerability, exacerbated by lack of infrastructure and poverty.
Reducing climate risks in the region is imperative to more than one and a half billion people, but it comes with a host of complexities that go well beyond replacing coal plants with solar panels or planting trees. Poorer countries are simply less equipped for a deep and rapid energy transition, partially because their fossil fuel infrastructure is often extensive and young, carrying greater risk to the economy if it becomes stranded. They are also less resilient, because their communities often lack the financial resources to adapt to sudden changes such as loss of housing due to a cyclone or failed harvests due to drought.
Must start looking seriously at global warming beyond 1.5°C – IPCC report author
By Julian Wettengel for Clean Energy Wire [English]
Mankind has the necessary knowledge, the appropriate technologies and also the financial resources to keep the target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C within reach, said German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in reaction to the latest report by leading climate scientists. She said that “we only have this one world and the report by the IPCC makes it brutally clear that we are sawing at the branch we are sitting on as a global community.” Environment minister Steffi Lemke said that the report “bears impressive witness how urgently climate action is needed.” As adaptation to climate change had its limits, the world had to “quickly reduce emissions at a large scale.”
Der Bericht, den Nehammer lesen sollte
The report that Nehammer was supposed to read
By Alicia Prager for Der Standard [German]
Es gibt Lösungen – aber die Zeit für ihre Umsetzung drängt, jeder weitere Aufschub würde das Weltklima massiv aus dem Gleichgewicht bringen. Darin ist sich die Forschung vollkommen einig.
Diese Botschaft sollte eigentlich nicht überraschen. Wenn aber selbst Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer in seiner Rede an die Nation sagt, für die "Untergangsapokalypse" gebe es "keinen wissenschaftlichen Beweis", und als Quelle ein Buch des konservativen US-Klimapublizisten Michael Shellenberger dient, wird klar, wie wichtig die Arbeit des IPCC ist. Das Gremium der renommierten Forschenden sortiert wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse, ordnet ein und liefert damit die wichtigste Quelle für sämtliche klimapolitischen Entscheidungen.
Bundeskanzler Nehammer reagierte auf die massive Kritik an seinen Aussagen mit Beschwichtigung. "Der Klimawandel ist eine Bedrohung, keine Erfindung", antwortete er. Und: Österreich solle Technologieführer für eine CO2-neutrale Welt werden. Das klingt zumindest ähnlich wie die Hauptaussage jener US-Denkschule des Ökomodernismus, zu der Shellenberger gehört. Sie setzt auf technologische Lösungen – und lehnt die politische Regulierung ab.