The 2022 IPCC Climate Report - A Code Red for Humanity
Following the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, countries around the world committed to slash their emissions in half by 2030, and to reach net-zero by 2050. At current levels, global emissions are predicted to increase by 14% by 2030. The recently released IPCC climate report, titled the Sixth Assessment Report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, asserts that more drastic action is needed to prevent catastrophic effects of climate change as the climate breakdown is now outpacing our ability to adapt. The report further focuses on communities and nations which are already being adversely affected by climate change and states that these effects will soon become widespread if emission commitments are not fulfilled. This information serves as a call to action for governments and the private sector to either take more drastic action on climate change, or risk massive economic and social crises.
Outpaced by Climate Change
The information regarding humans inability to adapt to rapid climate change is considered particularly concerning. The ICCP found that the effects of climate change have already caused irreversible impacts that will further create difficulties with adaptation. Widespread deterioration of coastal regions and ecosystems was pointed out as being one of these effects, with potential for mass mortality events and extinctions in the water and on land as a result of rising temperatures.
Humans are also already facing the impacts, with increased food and water scarcity in communities in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Small Islands, and the Arctic. Effects on human health have also been documented, with climate-related food-borne and water-borne diseases increasing, and issues with providing health services occuring due to extreme weather events also related to climate change. Overall, the report asserts that climate change is further contributing to a humanitarian crisis that will soon be too overwhelming and complex to manage.
Financial Effects
The Swiss Re Institute considers climate change as the biggest long-term risk to the global economy. The institute has predicted the world stands to lose 10% of total economic value from climate change if temperature increases stay on the current trajectory. The institute has also created a Climate Economic Index to predict how climate risks will impact 48 countries representing 90% of the world economy, and demonstrates how certain nations are more vulnerable to these effects and have a lower capacity for adaptation. Economies in south and southeast Asia were identified as being most vulnerable to these risks, but also seen as having the most to gain if risks to the climate can be brought under control.
What Can We Do?
While the information provided in this report is extremely worrying, there is still a chance to act. If the goal to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 is reached, environmental damage and its resulting socio-economic effects will still be manageable. The ICCP stresses in this report how vital it is that governments and the private sector take all measures possible to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Without action, the climate risks and environmental damage will continue to spread, and the predicted catastrophic effects will materialize - this report urges us all to act immediately to stop the crisis.
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