Calls for global solidarity with world's poor as scientists publish stark climate warning

Source: Christian Aid

A stark new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target of 1.5C in the next 12 years, to avoid catastrophic environmental breakdown.

Dr Kat Kramer, Christian Aid's Global Climate Lead, who has been following negotiations throughout the week in South Korea, said it could be summed up in two key messages:

"The IPCC scientists have done an amazing job synthesizing over 6000 scientific studies into a comprehensive report on how to limit climate change to manageable levels. Distilled down to its essence, it gives two key messages: one of hope - we can limit climate change to 1.5C of warming and avoid the worst impacts of climate change - and one of urgency - we need to decarbonize as much as possible, as fast as possible, including halving global emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.

"A failure to act can lead to irreversible impacts and even to tipping points that can lead to global warming spiralling out of control. The challenge is now for the world's leaders and policymakers to keep fossil fuels in the ground, invest in renewables, and in resilience measures to keep their people safe from existing climate risks. They need to be ready to respond to this scientific report with ambitious pledges to act, backed by real plans of action. Individuals too can play an important role in their lifestyle choices, such as eating less meat and dairy, and consuming less energy. We all share this one fragile planet together and so need to act in solidarity with the poorest and most vulnerable, those who will be impacted the most if we fail to act."

She added: "As the first country to industrialise the UK has a moral duty to lead the way in the global transition to a low carbon economy. That's why it's great to see politicians from across Parliament making a call for the UK to commit to generating net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. There has never been a more important time for the Government to act on this."

For more information about climate modelling used by the IPCC see a new report by Climate Analytics: Integrated Assessment Models: what are they and how do they arrive at their conclusions? https://climateanalytics.org/publications/2018/integrated-assessment-models-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-arrive-at-their-conclusions/