The experts agree. The IPCC report shows that the situation is acute and that we must reduce emissions immediately in order to achieve the 1.5 degree target.
It is good that the report emphasizes the difference between the consequences of 1.5 degree heating and two degree heating, but he is also hesitant to talk about 1.5- degree target.
– On the one hand, it is good that you give people hope that it is possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, but I feel that you need to be clear what is needed for us to get there. It must be understood that extreme measures are required, such as to quickly put a stop to emissions and to make a rapid expansion of the technology that helps us to limit warming.
How realistic is the report? Is it likely that we will manage to limit the heating to 1.5 degrees?
– You can’t really answer. Of course, physically and chemically this is possible. But as the economic system looks today, it will not work. To succeed, we must become a critical mass that sets in motion a movement and puts pressure on politicians to take the necessary measures.
“The governments of the world who ordered the report”
– The report is very clear and says we still have a window, but it is shrinking quickly. It says what we need to do and it is reducing emissions very quickly.
– We must start reducing emissions immediately. If we do, the chances are totally okay. But as it looks now when it comes to the promises made by different states, it doesn’t look very promising. With those promises, we see a move towards three degrees of warming. But one can still hope that this report leads somewhere. Nevertheless, it is the governments of the world who have ordered the report, and then one can hope that they will start from it as well.
New in IPCC context
It is new in the IPCC context that they have a whole chapter on what needs to be done politically.
– They have a history of being very careful, when they are not really going to submit proposals. So this has a little strain on their boundaries, which is good because their proposal is based on research.
– IPCC is very clear that the commitments made now lead to warming up to 3 degrees and most commitments submitted by the countries under the Paris Agreement are 2030 targets. The IPCC says that if we wait until after 2030 to sharpen the goals, it is done. Goals need to be sharpened now for us to shift this path that we are on right now. It is a very clear message to politicians now that they will meet for the next climate meeting in Poland this December and decide how much we need to revise the targets for 2020.
Leave a Reply