Delegates at the COP27 conference in Egypt will rely on decades of scientific research published by the United Nations climate science agency to inform their decisions regarding future energy plans and warming trajectories.
Approximately every five years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produces reports that represent the scientific consensus on climate change, its causes, and its effects. The report from the previous year addressed the primary causes of global warming and the fundamentals of climate science.
This was followed by two major reports this year: one in February addressing how the world will need to adapt to climate impacts, such as rising sea levels and dwindling wildlife, and another in April addressing methods for "mitigating" or reducing climate-warming emissions.
THE SCIENCE REPORT
* Last year's report on the physical basis for climate change was unequivocal in attributing rising temperatures to human activity. The report also warned that climate change was dangerously close to spiralling out of control. * Once-rare weather extremes are becoming more frequent, and some regions are more vulnerable than others.
* The authors of the report have for the first time urged immediate action to reduce methane emissions. The IPCC had previously focused solely on carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas.
View of a COP27 sign on the road leading to the conference area in Sharm el-Sheikh town, Egypt's Red Sea resort, as the city prepares to host the COP27 summit next month, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on October 20, 2022.
Nov 5 (Reuters) - Delegates at the COP27 conference in Egypt will rely on decades of scientific research published by the United Nations climate science agency to inform their decisions regarding future energy plans and warming trajectories.
Approximately every five years, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produces reports that represent the scientific consensus on climate change, its causes, and its effects. The report from the previous year addressed the primary causes of global warming and the fundamentals of climate science.
This was followed by two major reports this year: one in February addressing how the world will need to adapt to climate impacts, such as rising sea levels and dwindling wildlife, and another in April addressing methods for "mitigating" or reducing climate-warming emissions.
Last year's report on the physical basis for climate change was unequivocal in attributing rising temperatures to human activities. In addition, the report warned that climate change was perilously close to spiralling out of control.
* With time running out to prevent runaway climate change, the authors deemed it worthwhile to investigate the pros and cons of geoengineering, or large-scale interventions to alter the climate, such as injecting particles into the atmosphere to block out solar radiation. The report warned the nations of the world, including the wealthy ones, that everyone must begin preparing for climate impacts and adapting to a warmer planet.
* THE ADOPTION REPORT
In February, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia overshadowed the release of a seminal report on how the world should prepare for a warmer climate.
Due to the fact that climate change is already fueling extreme weather worldwide, the report urges both rich and poor nations to adapt as soon as possible to effects such as more frequent heatwaves, stronger storms, and rising sea levels. The report made it clear that different regions face different risks and impacts, and it provided localised projections of what to expect.
* Millions of people face poverty and food insecurity in the coming years as climate change threatens to disrupt trade and labour markets and damage crops and water supplies. The foreboding outlook for the world's poor reignited calls for a "Loss and Damage" fund through which rich nations would compensate poor countries for costs already incurred in climate-driven disasters - a key demand of vulnerable countries entering the COP27 negotiations in Egypt.
THE MITIGATION REPORT
* It's "now or never," a co-chair of the report said in releasing findings indicating that only drastic emissions reductions in the coming decades will prevent global warming from spiralling out of control. The report elucidated how diverse emission scenarios would likely result in future temperature increases. It was stated that cities are a major contributor to the emissions problem, but also a significant source of hope and positive solutions.
* The transition to renewable energy sources and clean-burning fuels is occurring too slowly. Beyond fossil fuels and manufacturing, the report urged climate action in agriculture, where farming methods and better forest protection could help reduce emissions.
It warned that climate change poses a threat to economic growth and, for the first time, emphasised the need for individual action, urging governments to enact policies aimed at altering consumer and transportation habits in order to promote less waste and greater efficiency.