Scientists have just told us how to solve the climate crisis – will the world listen? | Simon Lewis

Climate scientists have just pulled off a truly impressive achievement in the midst of a triple crisis. The world's governments agreed to a common guide to solve the climate emergency after they stood firm. The release of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows some grounds for hope despite the despair of mounting global problems.

After the recent reports on the causes and effects of climate change, this one covers solutions with a summary signed off by the world's governments. The summary is clear and concise, and in many places acknowledges the realities that scientists have known for a long time.

North America and Europe have produced the most carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution, making them the greatest contributors to the crisis we are living through.

The report shows that the average carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use in North America is 16 times higher than the average in Africa. The top 10% of households consume more greenhouse gases than the bottom 50% of households. The climate crisis is driven by how the wealthy of the world live, consume and invest in the UK.

This is a big change compared to previous reports. Population growth is one of the most important drivers of increases in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel. The dangerous misunderstandings are gone. Seven years later, the arguments seem like a relic of a previous age.

The new report shows how far governments are from meeting their commitments under the Paris agreement. Current climate policies and pledges will not limit global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels or keep it there.

Despite the complexity of climate science, our course is frighteningly simple to understand: we are currently on track for catastrophic 3C heating. In a world where half of the population is vulnerable to the climate crisis, that spells disaster. Extreme heatwaves, floods and droughts far outside the normal tolerances of cities and towns will destroy lives and livelihoods. Political institutions and our ability to respond to unfolding events could be overwhelmed by the effects of crop failures, migration and economic disruption.

There is hope if that feels depressing. Governments own the report. They have endorsed it and signed it off. They can now be held accountable for their failures.

There is a section on alternatives to fossil fuel use that is heartening. The solution to our energy needs is to use clean renewable energy and storage to power everything. Great leaps forward in clean technology are helping us.

The report says that the cost of solar energy, wind energy, and batteries plummeted between 2010 and 2019. The figures point to a transformed energy future. Everyone in government needs to see this message because the UK is about to suffer a wave of suffering from soaring energy costs. There is a better way.

The emissions problem is more than just failures to invest in low-carbon alternatives. The world has enough infrastructure to blast past 1.5C. Coal-fired power stations need to be retired. New oil fields and airports that lock in high emissions need to be canceled.

The report is about ending the fossil fuel age. It will help the growing number of people fighting against the fossil fuel industry on many fronts, but especially those taking official channels, such as MPs lobbying government not to open new oil fields, lawyers and citizens taking countries or companies to court, or those justifying direct action to stop. Climate action has never been stronger.

The fossil fuel industry will use elements in the report to further delay climate action. There is a discussion of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Those who think that we will be able to suck carbon out of the air in the future will argue that cutting emissions as much as possible is pointless.

The report says that carbon removal faces technological, economic, institutional, ecological-environmental and sociocultural barriers. Carbon removal should never be an alternative to cutting emissions according to the report. It makes clear how unrealistic very high carbon removal pathways are.

The full 3,000-page report contains an assessment of the organised efforts used to derail climate action, which is very revealing for those who have been working for a better climate. It is not surprising that this doesn't make it into the summary. Last week, we learned that the former boss of the UK's largest oil company was going to be appointed by the government to promote the transition to a low-carbon economy.

There are more reasons to stop using fossil fuels each year. It was clear last year that gas prices would go up. Fossil fuels fund the Russian military. Adding these will end urban air pollution and prevent hundreds of millions of people from suffering. And the price? Some new legislation and a small amount of GDP.

Climate change can feel complex, but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has worked hard to make it easy for us. A path still exists to get to net zero by the year 2050, which will probably meet the 1.5C goal. It is a positive message. The task is to make it believable.

• Simon Lewis is a professor of global change science.