Climate Change

Context:

• The IPCC released the first part of its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).
• It is latest evaluation of the state of earth’s climate, the changes happening therein, and the impacts these are having on the planet, and life forms.
• These assessment reports are the most widely-accepted scientific opinion on the status of earth’s climate.

Key highlights of the report:

• Global temperature to rise by more than 2 degree Celsius by 2100 compared to pre-industrial times unless “deep reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions are initiated immediately .

• The report says that there was now “unequivocal” evidence to say that global warming was being caused by human activities.
• Temperature rise beyond 2 degree Celsius would result in catastrophic and irreversible changes that would make it difficult for human beings and other species to survive.
• It presents scientific evidence for climate change and showed that the global temperatures had already risen by about 1.1 degree Celsius from pre-industrial times, and warns that a 1.5 degree Celsius warming was likely to be achieved before 2040.
• The 2015 Paris Agreement, aims to limit temperature increase to within 2 degree Celsius from pre-industrial times, hopefully within 1.5 degrees Celsius
• The AR6 observed changes in earth’s climate, induced by global warming that includes sea-level rise, or glacier melt etc.

About IPCC

• It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
• It does not produce any new science itself, instead, it assembles scientists from all over the world to review all the relevant scientific literature on climate change, and arrive at general conclusions about the trends being observed.

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/united-nations-climate-change-report-temperature-rise-warning-7445494/