IPCC Report says climate changes are inevitable and irreversible

Humanity’s damaging impact on climate is a fact, say UN scientists in a landmark study.

The unprecedented changes in Earth’s climate because of human activity means that many of the changes are now inevitable and irreversible, say the climate scientists of the IPCC.

In the next two decades, temperatures are likely to rise by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, which breaches the ambition of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, leading to widespread devastation and extreme weather.

However, there is hope that deep cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases could stabilise the warming of the planet.

Set up in 1988, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a UN body that assesses the science around climate change. It gives governments the scientific information they need to develop policies on global climate change. The group’s first Assessment Report on climate change was released in 1992 and is the sixth in this series that will be split into the four volumes.

The report revealed that the global temperature was 1.09C higher in the last decade than it was at any time between 1850-1900, with the last five years being the hottest on record since 1850. Human influence is likely the primary driver of global retreat of glaciers since the 1990s.

When it comes to sea level rises, a rise of around 2m by the end of the century isn’t impossible and neither is a 5m rise by 2150. Such outcomes would have devastating impacts on coastal areas with flooding by 2100.

The five main future impacts predicted by the IPCC are:

• Temperatures to reach 1.5C above 1850-1900 levels by 2040 under all current emissions scenarios
• The Arctic will be practically ice-free in September once before 2050 in all assessed scenarios
• There will be more instances of extreme events “unprecedented in the historical record” even at warming of 1.5C
• Extreme sea level events that occurred once a century are projected to occur annually at more than half of tidal gauge locations by 2100
• There will be increases in fire weather in many regions

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said, “Today’s IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a code red for humanity,”

“If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But, as today’s report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses. I count on government leaders and all stakeholders to ensure COP26 is a success.”

Guterres has also called for an end to new coal plants and new fossil fuel exploration and development while insisting governments, investors and businesses pour all efforts into a low-carbon future.

Boris Johnson, prime minister of the UK, hosts of Cop26, said: “Today’s report makes for sobering reading, and it is clear that the next decade is going to be pivotal to securing the future of our planet … I hope today’s report will be a wake-up call for the world to take action now, before we meet in Glasgow in November for the critical Cop26 summit.”

You can read the report in full here: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/

Action is required now by all of us to switch to greener alternatives

This staggering report from the IPCC is the clarion call for countries, organisations and ourselves to make important changes in an attempt to stabilise the rising temperatures of the planet. We cannot continue using fossil fuels in our everyday activities at the expense of our planet.

Fossil fuels are used in cars, lorries and industry but also in many of the world’s garden tools. This was something we at EGO recognised, seeing that action must be taken to leave petrol garden tools where they belong, in the past, to usher in a safer, cleaner future. This is Challenge 2025.

Through our own research, we uncovered that 11x more carbon monoxide is emitted by a petrol leaf blower when compared to a Ford Fiesta. Meanwhile, a petrol brush cutter emits 4x more nitrogen oxide than a Ford Fiesta. That is why we need to switch to battery-powered alternatives, such as EGO Power+, for cleaner, safer and greener gardening.

Discover more about our work and take up the challenge today by downloading The Report here: https://www.challenge2025.eu/thereport/.