Climate change: The science is clear, we have a moral duty to act'

Both CAFOD and Christian Aid have welcomed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released in Stockholm on 27 September, which states that climate change is “clear” and global warming is “unequivocal”.

The fifth assessment report (AR5) from the IPCC – the leading scientific authority on the state of the global climate – consists of scientists’ contributions from all over the world and can be summarised with the strapline: climate change is here, it’s manmade and its impacts are getting worse.

Sarah Wykes, CAFOD’s lead policy analyst on climate change and the environment, said: “According to recent CAFOD research in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Uganda and the Philippines, things have got worse for poor people in the last 15 years. This is due to a range of different factors, but changing climatic conditions and associated weather impacts – such as increased droughts and flooding – have played a significant part. The IPPC points to a shared global responsibility to tackle the root causes of climate change and support those who are vulnerable to its impacts – particularly poor people who have the fewest resources to cope.”

One of the key findings from the IPCC AR5 report is that there is now over 95 per cent certainty that human activity is responsible for climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels and deforestation.

Other significant findings show that: sea level rise and the melting of glaciers and polar ice are accelerating; globally, there will be heavier and more frequent precipitation; the frequency of category four and five storms could increase across the world; some areas are experiencing more severe and more frequent droughts, such as in West Africa where CAFOD partners work; and, for some regions flooding is predicted to increase, in particular in Central America - another key place of work for CAFOD.

The report also highlights the ‘best case’ scenario for warming in terms of climate sensitivity – the amount by which the Earth will warm if atmospheric CO2 levels were to double. The report puts this at 1.5°C of warming by 2100. However, just as likely is the ‘worst case’ scenario – 4.5°C of warming – which would be catastrophic for human beings and the planet. Global emissions are predicted to more than double and without urgent action to cut emissions, we are on track for warming that will exceed the agreed safe limit of 2°C.

Urgent change neededIn light of these findings, CAFOD is calling for urgent action from governments to tackle the root causes of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There is a renewed opportunity to agree a fair and legally binding deal on cuts internationally by 2015. Crucially, countries must also shift away from polluting sources of energy to cleaner alternatives. Developed countries, like the UK, who bear the greatest responsibility for addressing the problem, must also meet their commitments to support poorer countries hit by climate change now and in the future. This is the only way to reduce poverty in the long-term.

Dr Alison Doig, Christian Aid's Senior Climate Change Advisor, said: "Scientific evidence confirms that manmade climate change is a reality and that without urgent action globally, the impacts will get worse. The time for debate is over, it is time to act.

"Rising temperatures will bring enormous economic and human cost. We need to support countries and communities most at risk in preparing to cope with disaster, to lessen the impacts of extreme weather events and help communities recover more rapidly when they do occur.

"The implications of melting ice caps and rising sea levels for people and economies around the world will be enormous, but it is the poorest and most vulnerable people who depend on the land and sea for their living who will be most affected.

“The report shows that there is time to put a halt to the continuing accumulation of carbon in our atmosphere, but that we need to move fast. As a developed, industrialised country the UK has to lead the way by ending our dependence on fossil fuels, and investing in clean, renewable sources of energy which we are fortunate enough to be blessed with in the UK.

"The science is clear, we have a moral duty to act and the risk of not doing so is too great. This is our opportunity to create the world we want to live in."