Latest IPCC report warns world of severe climate change impact

Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world. People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on February 28.

The report, “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”, was approved on February 27 by 195 member governments of the IPCC, through a virtual approval session that was held over two weeks starting on February 14. It is the second of three major reports from the IPCC and the first since November’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

The report looks at the effects of climate change on our natural world and people. It says that the world faces unavoidable multiple climate hazards over the next two decades with global warming of 1.5°C (2.7°F). Even temporarily exceeding this warming level will result in additional severe impacts, some of which will be irreversible. Risks for society will increase, including to infrastructure and low-lying coastal settlements.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock at the findings of the report. “I have seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this. As current events make all too clear, our continued reliance on fossil fuels makes the global economy and energy security vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and crises. Instead of slowing down the decarbonization of the global economy, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a renewable energy future,” he said.

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Guterres said the report points at two important facts, “First, that coal and other fossil fuels are choking humanity. The second core finding was slightly better news. Investments in adaptation work.”

“This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “It shows that climate change is a grave and mounting threat to our wellbeing and a healthy planet. Our actions today will shape how people adapt and nature responds to increasing climate risks.”

Urgent action required to deal with increasing risks

Increased heatwaves, droughts and floods are already exceeding plants’ and animals’ tolerance thresholds, driving mass mortalities in species such as trees and corals. These weather extremes are occurring simultaneously, causing cascading impacts that are increasingly difficult to manage.

They have exposed millions of people to acute food and water insecurity, especially in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, on Small Islands and in the Arctic, the IPCC report states.

To avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure, ambitious, accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. So far, progress on adaptation is uneven and there are increasing gaps between action taken and what is needed to deal with the increasing risks, the new report finds. These gaps are largest among lower-income populations.

What does the IPCC report mean for India?

The latest IPCC report states that India will suffer deep economic impact of climate change. It says that in India heat and humidity would pass limits of human survivability. Rising sea levels pose an additional challenge to coastal cities and towns in India. By 2050, about 35 million people in India could suffer the consequences of coastal flooding. The report says that this risk could be mitigated if India cuts down majorly on its carbon and methane emissions.

Also read: How will warming planet affect India and ways to minimise impact

By the mid of this century, nearly 40% of Indians will suffer as a result of water scarcity, as compared with 33% population now. Flooding may go up in big rivers like the Ganges if warming crosses the 1.5°C threshold.

Warming may also affect the country’s food production and food security along with disruptions in international supply chains, markets, trade and resultant economic setbacks.

The IPCC report states that production of wheat, rice, pulses and cereals could drop by 9% by the mid of century. The low-income marginalised communities will suffer the most as compared with the well off and the elite, the report states.