# U.N. climate change report sounds ‘code red for humanity’ Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-08-13 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: UN Climate Panel Warns of Climate Crisis Meta Description: The latest IPCC report highlights the urgent need for immediate action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prevent catastrophic climate disruptions. URL: https://financedigest.com/u-n-climate-change-report-sounds-code-red-for-humanityhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-08-09t111550z2lynxmpeh7808crtroptp3climate-change-ipcc-report-1736838020589-compressed.jpg) By Nina Chestney and Andrea Januta (Reuters) -Global warming is dangerously close to spiralling out of control, a U.N. climate panel said in a landmark report Monday, warning the world is already certain to [face further climate disruptions](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-airports-face-christmas-disruption-as-border-staff-to-strike.html "UK airports face Christmas disruption as border staff to strike") for decades, if not centuries, to come. Humans are “unequivocally” to blame, the report from the scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel 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") (IPCC) https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1 said. [Rapid action](https://www.financedigest.com/rapid-action-force-regarding-innovations-to-drive-the-medical-devices-market.html "Rapid Action Force regarding Innovations to drive the Medical Devices Market") to cut greenhouse gas emissions could limit some impacts, but others are now locked in. The deadly heat waves, gargantuan hurricanes and other [weather extremes](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") that are already happening will only become more severe. Monday alone saw 500,000 acres of forest burning in California, while in Venice tourists waded through ankle-deep water in St. Mark’s Square. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described the report as a “code red for humanity”. “The alarm bells are deafening,” he said in a statement. This [report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels](https://www.financedigest.com/bank-finance-for-cleaner-energy-grows-but-still-lags-fossil-fuels-report.html "Bank finance for cleaner energy grows, but still lags fossil fuels – report"), before they destroy our planet. In an interview with Reuters https://reut.rs/2U4reeV, activist Greta Thunberg called on the public and media to put “massive” pressure on governments to act. In three months, the U.N. COP26 [climate conference](https://www.financedigest.com/one-minute-to-midnight-says-johnson-as-climate-conference-opens.html "“One minute to midnight” says Johnson as climate conference opens") in Glasgow, Scotland, will try to wring much more ambitious climate action out of the nations of the world, and the money to go with it. Drawing on more than 14,000 scientific studies, the IPCC report gives the most comprehensive and detailed picture yet of how [climate change is altering the natural world](https://www.financedigest.com/deloitte-research-reveals-inaction-on-climate-change-could-cost-the-worlds-economy-us178-trillion-by-2070.html "Deloitte research reveals inaction on climate change could cost the world’s economy US8 trillion by 2070") – and what could still be ahead. Unless immediate, rapid and large-scale action is taken to reduce emissions, the report says, the average global temperature is likely to [reach or cross](https://www.financedigest.com/engine-parts-makers-must-cross-valley-of-death-to-reach-ev-era.html "Engine parts makers must cross ‘valley of death’ to reach EV era") the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming threshold within 20 years. The [pledges to cut emissions](https://www.financedigest.com/citi-pledges-to-cut-emissions-for-more-sectors-including-coal.html "Citi pledges to cut emissions for more sectors including coal") https://reut.rs/3ywxDyE made so far are nowhere near enough to start reducing level of greenhouse gases – mostly carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning fossil fuels – accumulated in the atmosphere. ‘WAKE-UP CALL’ Governments and campaigners reacted https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-ipcc-reactions-short-idAFL8N2PG1ZW to the findings https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-ipcc-takeaways-idUSKBN2FA0J8 with alarm. [British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the report would be “a wake-up call for the world to take action](https://www.financedigest.com/british-pm-rishi-sunak-pledges-further-action-on-strikes-to-protect-lives.html "British PM Rishi Sunak pledges further action on strikes to ‘protect lives’") now, before we meet in Glasgow. U.S. President Joe Biden tweeted Monday: “We can’t wait to tackle the climate crisis. The signs are unmistakable. The science is undeniable. And the [cost of inaction keeps mounting.”](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-global-banks-take-axe-to-jobs-as-cost-pressures-mount.html "Factbox-Global banks take axe to jobs as cost pressures mount") The [report says emissions “unequivocally caused by human activities” have already pushed the average global](https://www.financedigest.com/global-economy-weathered-98bn-natural-hazard-loss-in-first-half-of-2016-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "GLOBAL ECONOMY WEATHERED BN NATURAL HAZARD LOSS IN FIRST HALF OF 2016, ACCORDING TO AON CATASTROPHE REPORT") temperature up 1.1C from its pre-industrial average – and would have raised it 0.5C further without the tempering effect of pollution in the atmosphere. That means that, even as societies move away from [fossil fuels](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-approves-effective-ban-on-new-fossil-fuel-cars-from-2035.html "EU approves effective ban on new fossil fuel cars from 2035"), temperatures will be pushed up again by the loss of the airborne pollutants that come with them and currently reflect away some of the sun’s heat. A [rise of 1.5C is generally seen as the most that humanity could cope with without suffering widespread economic](https://www.financedigest.com/sony-hikes-ps5-price-on-economic-pressures-rising-rates.html "Sony hikes PS5 price on economic pressures, rising rates") and social upheaval. The 1.1C warming already recorded has been enough to unleash disastrous weather https://tmsnrt.rs/3wcycMk. This year, heat waves killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest and smashed [records around the world](https://www.financedigest.com/red-box-recorders-launches-worlds-first-automated-audio-recording-compliance-verification-tool.html "RED BOX RECORDERS LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST  AUTOMATED AUDIO-RECORDING COMPLIANCE VERIFICATION TOOL"). Wildfires fuelled by heat and drought are sweeping away entire towns in the U.S. West, releasing record carbon dioxide emissions from Siberian forests, and [driving Greeks to flee their homes](https://www.financedigest.com/feasibility-of-interoperability-to-drive-the-home-medical-equipment-market.html "Feasibility of interoperability to drive the Home Medical Equipment Market") by ferry. Further warming could mean that in some places, people could die just from going outside. The more we [push the climate](https://www.financedigest.com/france-to-host-pro-nuclear-meet-to-push-for-eu-recognition-of-climate-benefits.html "France to host pro-nuclear meet to push for EU recognition of climate benefits") system … the greater the odds we cross thresholds that we can only poorly project,” said IPCC co-author Bob Kopp, a [climate scientist](https://www.financedigest.com/scientists-in-germany-turn-up-heat-on-seagrass-in-climate-change-fight.html "Scientists in Germany turn up heat on seagrass in climate change fight") at Rutgers University. IRREVERSIBLE Some changes are already “locked in”. Greenland’s sheet of land-ice https://tmsnrt.rs/2Qvivkg is “virtually certain” to continue melting, and [raising the sea level](https://www.financedigest.com/ecbs-lagarde-raises-prospect-of-rate-hikes-beyond-neutral-level.html "ECB’s Lagarde raises prospect of rate hikes beyond neutral level"), which will continue to rise for centuries to come as the oceans warm and expand. “We are now committed to some aspects of [climate change, some of which are irreversible for hundreds to thousands of years,” said IPCC co-author Tamsin Edwards, a climate scientist at King’s](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-climate-envoy-kerry-king-charles-at-cop27-would-be-very-powerful.html "U.S. climate envoy Kerry: King Charles at COP27 would be ‘very powerful’") College London. “But the more we limit warming, the more we can avoid or slow down those changes.” But even to slow climate change, the [report says](https://www.financedigest.com/loreal-denies-report-saying-it-suspended-twitter-ad-spending.html "L’Oréal denies report saying it suspended Twitter ad spending"), the world is running out of time. If emissions are slashed in the [next decade](https://www.financedigest.com/isostearyl-alcohol-market-is-projected-to-expand-at-a-cagr-of-4-5-over-the-next-decade-expanding-1-6x-by-2030.html "Isostearyl Alcohol Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.5% over the next decade, expanding 1.6X by 2030"), average temperatures could still be up 1.5C by 2040 and possibly 1.6C by 2060 before stabilising. And if, instead the world continues on its the current trajectory, the [rise could be 2.0C by 2060 and 2.7C by the century’s end](https://www.financedigest.com/pressure-ulcer-diagnostics-market-will-likely-rise-to-us-1-49-bn-by-the-end-of-2031.html "Pressure Ulcer Diagnostics Market will Likely Rise to US$ 1.49 Bn by the End of 2031"). The Earth has not been that warm since the Pliocene Epoch roughly 3 million years ago – when humanity’s first ancestors were appearing, and the oceans were 25 metres (82 feet) higher than they are today. It could get even worse, if warming [triggers feedback loops that release even more climate-warming carbon emissions — such as the melting of Arctic permafrost or the dieback of global](https://www.financedigest.com/putin-says-west-is-triggering-a-global-economic-crisis.html "Putin says West is triggering a global economic crisis") forests. Under these high-emissions scenarios, Earth could broil at temperatures 4.4C above the preindustrial average by the last two decades of this century. [(Reporting by Nina Chestney in London](https://www.financedigest.com/london-reclaims-place-as-preeminent-global-financial-centre-for-the-first-time-since-2013-according-to-global-regulatory-outlook-report-from-duff-phelps.html "London reclaims place as preeminent global financial centre for the first time since 2013, according to Global Regulatory Outlook report from Duff & Phelps") and Andrea Januta in Guerneville, California; Additional reporting by Jake Spring in Brasilia, Valerie Volcovici in Washington, and Emma Farge in Geneva; Editing by Katy Daigle, Lisa Shumaker, Kevin Liffey and Giles Elgood) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---