Science predicts ‘climate collapse’, UN chief calls on COP28 to act

The year is not over yet, but a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)World Meteorological Organization) confirms it is set to be the hottest on record, with global temperatures rising by 1.4°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

The race continues to maintain the 1.5 degree limit agreed upon by world leaders in Paris in 2015.

“We are witnessing climate collapse in real time – and the impact is devastating,” Mr. Guterres warned in a video statement that accompanied the launch of the new report at the start of annual UN climate negotiations.

Glaciers melt, sea levels rise

The Secretary-General recently visited two global warming “hotspots”, Nepal and Antarctica, where he observed record sea ice melting and said he was “shocked by how quickly the glaciers are retreating”.

There is a high demand for OMM, a maximum of the Antarctica’s glacier for this year’s exposure to a million kilometres’ worth of minimum record, at the end of the day’s hike. Southern Hemisphere. Glaciers in western North America and the European Alps also experienced an “extreme melting season.”

The World Meteorological Organization said that due to the continuing rise in ocean temperatures and the melting of glaciers and ice caps, a record rise in sea levels has also been observed.

Greenhouse gas emissions are at their highest levels

Meanwhile, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide, heat-trapping gases, reached a record high last year and will continue to rise in 2023. The World Meteorological Organization noted that carbon dioxide levels are 50% higher than previously. On it in the world. pre-industrial era and that the long life of the gas “means that temperatures will continue to rise for many years.”

These data are “more than just statistics” for the head of the World Meteorological Organization, Petteri Taalas, who called for measures “to reduce the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate in this century and the centuries to come.”

Serious consequences

From Hurricane Danielle in Libya in September to devastating floods in the Horn of Africa after five consecutive seasons of drought, to severe air pollution caused by wildfires in Canada, the World Meteorological Organization report highlights the horrific impacts of climate change on human lives, health and safety. . ways of living.

Throughout this year, communities experiencing extreme climate conditions around the world have faced food insecurity and forced displacement. “These high temperatures should send chills up the spines of world leaders and should inspire them to act,” Mr. Guterres said.

The path to follow

The UN Secretary-General reiterated his call to “triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency… and phase out fossil fuels.” Global renewable energy capacity has increased by about 10%, driven by solar and wind power, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Mr. Guterres highlighted the current roadmap to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Eight years later, he urged governments to set “clear expectations” for the next round of climate action plans and invest in their implementation.

Delegations arrive at the COP28 Expo Center in Dubai.

Protection of the population

During this COP, the first “global assessment” will be prepared aimed at assessing collective progress in reducing emissions, accelerating adaptation efforts, and supporting developing countries hard hit by global warming. Guterres said countries must “go further and faster to protect people from climate chaos.”

This includes ensuring that every person on Earth is covered by an early warning system for extreme weather by 2027, as well as establishing a “Loss and Damage Fund” to help vulnerable people severely affected by floods, droughts and other climate disasters.

The UN leader stressed that developed countries must also fulfill their promise of $100 billion annually in climate finance, first pledged at the 15th UN Climate Change Conference in 2009, in addition to doubling the amount of funding for adaptation efforts.