The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on their latest findings, a report written by hundreds of leading climate scientists and agreed by 195 countries. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres states that it is 'now or never' in his video message. The report states that at the current rate of energy expenditure, global warming would increase more than double the 1.5 degree Celsius that was agreed upon in the Paris Accord.
In the video Mr. Guterres warns, "Major cities under water, unprecedented heatwaves, terrifying storms, widespread water shortages, the extinction of a million specials of plants and animals. This is not fiction or exaggeration. This is what science tells us will result from our current energy policies".
In order to keep the limit set by the Paris Accord, globally we would need to cut emissions by 45% within this decade. The report states that there has been a tremendous increase in greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activity, which can be attributed to towns and cities.
On the brighter side, the IPCC says it is still possible to halve emissions by 2030, if governments take the actions required. The decreased cost of renewable energy by almost 85% drastically highlights how economical the conversion will be as well.
Mr. Guterres also noted the huge gap between promises made and the current state of policies today. Governments and corporations continue to poor money into 'climate-choking' industries, and this prevents any real changes necessary to combat global rising temperatures.
We will need to reduce our fossil fuel consumption substantially and improve energy efficiency as well as increase the use of renewable sources of energy. If drastic changes are not made we will experience the cascading and irreversible effects of climate change.
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