A ‘liveable future’ depends on slashing emissions this decade, major climate report finds

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The world needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half this decade. To reach that goal, the globe needs to shift quickly to clean energy, reduce energy use, and deploy technologies that can trap some of our planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution.

We are at a crossroads. The chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in a press release that the decisions we make now can secure a liveable future.

Hundreds of leading climate scientists participated in the report, which outlines what is needed to avoid all-out climate catastrophe. Reductions of greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors is a key call to action. It builds on previous research that found that more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming would be devastating for people and wildlife around the world. We are very close to breaching that threshold. Today's report says we could surpass it before the year 2030.

If we can cut emissions in half this decade, we could rewrite that grim future. The goal is to keep global average temperatures stable by reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century.

According to the report, the technology needed to achieve those goals is already at our fingertips. Since 2010, the cost of solar and wind power and batteries to store renewable energy has dropped. The pollution from tailpipes would be brought down by similar price drops in electric vehicles. The authors say that there needs to be changes in everyday behavior in order to cut down on energy use. Making cities easier to get around by walking, biking, or taking public transport is what that means. The fact sheet says that consumers can simply consume less if they choose to do their part.

The UN Secretary-General said at a press conference that investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness.

The report leaves room for fossil fuel if it is combined with climate tech. Carbon capture technologies scrub the greenhouse gas out of emissions before it can escape smokestacks. The report says that if the world is to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, it will be necessary to use other technologies that pull CO2 out of the air.

Some environmental advocates are concerned that the technologies will prolong the dominance of fossil fuels.

Climate change has already changed life on Earth, according to the third report in a series. Extreme weather events have become more dangerous due to human activity, according to the first report released last August. The need for transformation in our behavior and infrastructure to adapt to climate change was found in the second report published in February. The third piece is available here.