On February 28, 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or the IPCC, released its latest report. Approved by 195 countries, the IPCC report assesses the impacts of climate change, determines where the world is the most vulnerable, and maps out how we can best adapt to them.
This is the second of a three-part review. The first instalment came out last August and concluded that climate change was “unequivocally caused by human actions”. The third part of the IPCC report is due in April and will cover ways to cut greenhouse emissions.
Now, the entire 3675-page report isn’t exactly a light bedside read (I mean, even the “high-level summary” is 37 pages long). Long, tedious, and filled with jargon, it’s not the easiest to understand and digest. So we took a deep dive into the gory details — let’s unpack it together.
First, what is the IPCC?
The IPCC is a body of the United Nations that is responsible for assessing the science behind climate change. Its objective is to provide governments and key policymakers with the information they need to develop climate policies. IPCC reports are written by hundreds of leading scientists from 195 countries and are a synthesis of thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers.
The IPCC consists of three Working Groups. Working Group I is concerned with physical science, Working Group II looks at impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, and Working Group III deals with mitigation. The current report was prepared by Working Group II.
No sugarcoating the grim reality
The bottom line of the report is crystal clear. The world has almost reached the point of no return, with the window of opportunity to act on climate change rapidly closing.
“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of Working Group II. “Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.”
Now, let’s take a look at some of the key takeaways of the IPCC report.
The bleakest warning yet
“The question at this point is not whether we can altogether avoid the crisis – it is whether we can avoid the worst consequences,” said John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate.
Everyone and everywhere is affected — aka no one is safe. Nearly half the world’s population (roughly 3.3 to 3.6 billion people) lives in places that are highly vulnerable to climate change. And there’s no inhabited region on earth that has entirely escaped the disastrous effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather events.
Speaking of, these extreme weather events are on a meteoric rise, with “freak storms” making headlines way too often. Whether it’s calamitous droughts, cyclones, wildfires, or record-breaking heatwaves, these events have flooded our newsfeeds. Plus, these events can compound on each other — the impacts of one could potentially amplify the effects of another.
Millions of people are already exposed to acute food and water shortages due to climate change. And as usual, the poorest are hit the hardest. It’s especially bad in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, on small islands, and in the Arctic, and the majority of climate-related deaths occur in the Global South. Is it a coincidence that developing countries are facing most of the brunt?
If we allow global temperatures to rise more than 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels (and based on the current trajectory, we’re well on the way to this scenario), we’ll cross the point of no return. This is the “critical level” which will trigger accelerated and irreversible effects.
In fact, current conditions have already started exceeding plants’ and animals’ tolerance thresholds. What does this mean? The mass die-off of some species (particularly, certain trees and corals) has already been set in motion. Some ecosystems, like coral reefs, are likely to collapse. Others, like the Amazon, are turning from major carbon sinks to carbon sources. This means they will emit more carbon than they suck in. And small, low-lying islands and many coastal areas around the world are at risk of being wiped out entirely.
Calling out the real villain
Fossil fuels are the culprit behind climate change and are choking humanity and the natural world. It’s as simple as that and a fact that can’t be ignored any longer.
“This abdication of leadership is criminal. The world’s biggest polluters are guilty of arson of our only home,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN. He had called the previous IPCC report “a code red for humanity”. Speaking to major oil and gas giants, he said, “you cannot claim to be green while your plans and projects undermine the 2050 net-zero target and ignore the major emissions cuts that must occur this decade. People see through this smokescreen.”
Guterres also called on all G20 governments to step up and stop funding coal abroad, which they had previously agreed upon. He urged developed countries and international financial institutions to form coalitions to help major emerging economies divest from coal.
“Fossil fuels are a dead end — for our planet, for humanity, and yes, for economies.”
You say it like it is, António!
A shift in language
Compared to previous IPCC reports, this one places a greater (and much-needed) emphasis on climate justice. It clearly states that marginalized groups are disproportionately at risk (even though they contributed the least to the crisis) due to socio-economic factors, land use, and inequality.
“This focus on climate justice and equity is crucial in shifting the global narrative on who should be shouldering the costs of a transition and who the vulnerable are,” says climate justice activist @earthbyhelena in an Instagram post. “We already know a lot of what’s been said. This report provides evidence for the things we are already fighting for.”
It’s also worth noting that for the first time, the role of the climate crisis in mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are discussed.
While it’s not enough, it’s a start.
“‘colonialism’ made it in the report baby…”
…says climate activist and founder of The Slow Factory, Céline Semaan in a tweet.
Are colonialism and climate change interconnected? Of course they are. And while this may seem like an obvious statement, what is pretty f***ing significant is that it was called out in a major international report created and approved by 195 countries.
Climate justice activists and groups have been dismantling what this means on social media:
A note of caution
A major focus of the IPCC report is adapting to climate change. It’s particularly important to build climate resilience in vulnerable regions and for indigenous and marginalized communities. And technology alone is not enough for this — we need cross-institutional action which prioritises equity and justice.
Now, while this can reduce the risks of climate impacts in the short run, it can not be our end goal. At some point soon enough, if we don’t majorly accelerate mitigation efforts, we’ll reach the limits of adaptation. Ultimately, the cost of staying below the 1.5-degree target is far lower than the cost of loss and damage that the world will incur if we don’t act now.
It’s not doomsday. Just yet.
The climate crisis is an emergency and the report underlines the urgency for action. So, what can we do?
> First, take a moment for yourself. Eco anxiety is real so give yourself some time to process what you’ve learned.
> Engage with friends and family about climate change.
> Uplift the voices of marginalized people, and those most affected by the climate crisis. A simple start can be resharing and boosting their posts on social media or supporting their businesses.
> Support organizations that are doing the work.
> Join a local climate group if you can.
> Sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
> Continue to take steps in your own lives to limit your personal impact. But remember, the real impact will have to happen on a systemic level. So:
> Hold your governments and policymakers accountable!