The world’s climate scientists have issued what one expert said is a “final warning” before global warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius. Source: ABC News.
“The climate time-bomb is ticking,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which today released its final “synthesis report”, marking six years of work by about 700 scientists.
“Today’s IPCC report is a how-to guide to defuse the climate time-bomb,” he said. “It is a survival guide for humanity.”
Representatives of 195 countries negotiated an agreed text for the summary report, after assessing tens of thousands of scientific studies.
The report, known as the AR6, is a synthesis of six other reports by the IPCC — taking enormous amounts of data and simplifying it so policymakers inside and outside governments can use it.
However, the scientists say there is still time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and every bit of carbon pollution makes a difference.
In launching the report, Mr Guterres specifically called on wealthy countries, such as Australia, to urgently stop approving new coal, gas and oil projects.
“Demanding others move first only ensures humanity comes last,” he said.
Responding to the report, the Sydney-based Edmund Rice Centre said the report has direct implications for the Albanese Government’s proposed Safeguard Mechanism legislation being debated in Parliament.
ERC director Alopi Latukefu said: “Rather than pursuing quixotic and compromised carbon offset measures we need Prime Minister Albanese and his Government to act now by stopping all new coal and gas projects; identifying ways of prioritising genuine emissions reduction by polluting companies; and limiting use of carbon offsets to meet the emission intensity cap set by the proposed Safeguard Mechanism.”
FULL STORY
IPCC climate scientists issue ‘a survival guide for humanity’, warning window closing to reduce emissions (By Michael Slezak and Loretta Florance, ABC News)
A liveable future and a liveable Pacific means no new fossil fuels, says UN report (Edmund Rice Centre)
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We have everything we need to fix the climate crisis. But we need to do it now (The Age)
