# Climate impacts heading to ‘uncharted territories of destruction’ -UN chief Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-09-13 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: UN Warns Earth Heading Towards 'Uncharted Territories Meta Description: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres highlights the alarming trajectory of climate change, urging global action to avoid dangerous tipping points. URL: https://financedigest.com/climate-impacts-heading-to-uncharted-territories-of-destruction-un-chiefhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-09-13t135948z3lynxmpei8c0tbrtroptp4europe-heatwave-britain-1736815223097-compressed.jpg) By Gloria Dickie LONDON (Reuters) -The impacts of climate change are “heading into uncharted territories of destruction”, U.N. secretary-general António Guterres [warned on Tuesday on the release of a multi-agency scientific report](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-report-warns-of-impact-of-islamist-groups-in-prisons.html "UK report warns of impact of Islamist groups in prisons") reviewing the latest research on the subject. The report https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice\_display&id=22128, led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), warns that the world is “going in the wrong direction” on [climate change](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-world-bank-seeks-more-funds-to-address-climate-change-other-crises-document.html "Exclusive-World Bank seeks more funds to address climate change, other crises -document"). With greenhouse gas concentrations continuing to rise in the atmosphere and world leaders failing to adopt strategies to hold global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, the earth is inching closer to dangerous climate tipping points, the [United in Science report says](https://www.financedigest.com/offshore-crews-to-strike-on-bps-north-sea-installations-says-unite.html "Offshore crews to strike on BP’s North Sea installations, says Unite"). Already, [extreme weather](https://www.financedigest.com/europe-unveils-hi-tech-satellite-to-speed-up-extreme-weather-warnings.html "Europe unveils hi-tech satellite to speed up extreme weather warnings") events are more frequent and more intense. [“Heatwaves in Europe](https://www.financedigest.com/air-pollution-surges-as-heatwave-sweeps-across-europe.html "Air pollution surges as heatwave sweeps across Europe"). Colossal [floods in Pakistan..](https://www.financedigest.com/pakistan-floods-add-to-pain-for-struggling-small-businesses.html "Pakistan floods add to pain for struggling small businesses").There is nothing [natural about the new scale of these disasters,”](https://www.financedigest.com/global-natural-disaster-losses-reach-45bn-during-1h-2018-insurance-payouts-estimated-at-21bn-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Global natural disaster losses reach bn during 1H 2018; insurance payouts estimated at bn, according to Aon catastrophe report") Guterres said in a video message. Despite a dip in emissions during coronavirus lockdowns, planet-warming emissions have since soared beyond [pre-pandemic levels](https://www.financedigest.com/fraport-sees-2023-passenger-traffic-at-80-90-of-pre-pandemic-levels.html "Fraport sees 2023 passenger traffic at 80-90% of pre-pandemic levels"). Preliminary data [reveal that global](https://www.financedigest.com/2017-global-payroll-complexity-index-reveals.html "2017 Global Payroll Complexity Index Reveals ") carbon dioxide emissions in the first half of this year were 1.2% higher than during the same period in 2019, the report finds. The past seven [years were the warmest on record](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-europes-record-ipo-year-has-a-sting-in-its-tail.html "Analysis-Europe’s record IPO year has a sting in its tail"). The global average temperature has already warmed 1.1 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. And scientists expect the [annual average](https://www.financedigest.com/average-annual-uk-food-bill-set-to-rise-454-pounds-as-inflation-soars.html "Average annual UK food bill set to rise 454 pounds as inflation soars") could be anywhere between 1.1C and 1.7C warmer up to 2026 – meaning there’s a chance we could pass the 1.5C warming threshold in the next five years. By the end of the century, without aggressive climate action, global warming is [estimated to reach](https://www.financedigest.com/dental-3d-printing-market-to-reach-an-estimated-value-of-us-2-9-bn-by-2031.html "Dental 3D Printing Market to Reach an Estimated Value of US$ 2.9 Bn by 2031") 2.8C. But even at the current level of warming we could pass several climate [tipping points](https://www.financedigest.com/are-we-at-a-digitise-or-die-tipping-point-in-the-telco-space.html "Are we at a ‘digitise or die’ tipping point in the telco space?"). The ocean current that moves heat from the tropics into the northern hemisphere, for example, is now at its slowest in 1,000 years – jeopardizing historic weather patterns, [says the report](https://www.financedigest.com/loreal-denies-report-saying-it-suspended-twitter-ad-spending.html "L’Oréal denies report saying it suspended Twitter ad spending"), which includes contributions from the U.N. Environment Programme and U.N. [Office for Disaster Risk](https://www.financedigest.com/millie-richardson-appointed-as-new-chief-compliance-risk-officer.html "Millie Richardson Appointed As New Chief Compliance & Risk Officer") Reduction. Nearly half the [world’s population is considered highly vulnerable to the impacts](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-qatarenergy-boss-says-world-cup-tension-will-not-impact-german-business.html "Exclusive-QatarEnergy boss says World Cup tension will not impact German business") of climate change — floods, heat, drought, wildfires, and storms. By the 2050s, over 1.6 billion city-dwellers will regularly swelter through three-month average temperatures of at least 35C (95F). To help communities cope, the WMO has promised to put every person on earth under the protection of an early [warning system within the next five years](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-could-face-gas-shortage-next-year-iea-warns.html "EU could face gas shortage next year, IEA warns"). (Reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---