Parts of the planet are approaching the limits of their ability to adapt to climate change, scientists warned yesterday ahead of the release of a major UN report later this month.
Extreme drought and heat could prevent trees from absorbing carbon dioxide, pushing some ecosystems beyond the point at which they can recover, the researchers said. Some systems, such as tropical coral reefs, have already exceeded these limits and are heading towards decline.
This grim assessment comes about two weeks before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s largest scientific body on global warming, releases a report that focuses on the limits of the Earth to react to damaging temperature increases, and what can be done. on this subject.
It is the second of four reports produced by the IPCC over a seven-year cycle, and it will examine, in part, what the impacts of climate change mean for people’s lives, now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, co-chair of IPCC Working Group II.
The first report came out in August with dire warnings about the changing physical climate (Climatewire, August 9, 2021). UN Secretary General António Guterres has called it a “red code for humanity”.
The next report will examine how these changes affect humans and ecosystems and assess the types of responses needed.
“I think people are waiting for the ‘So what? ‘” Roberts said during a briefing with reporters yesterday. They will find it in a report that she says will “raise the curtain” on how people interact with each other and with nature.
As the physical climate experiences unprecedented impacts — heat waves, droughts and rising seas — poor development choices make societies more vulnerable, Roberts said.
For the first time, the report will focus on potential solutions to address climate challenges and assess which are most feasible given social and political conditions.
It will also highlight how intertwined human systems are with nature. And it will look at where people and ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of rising temperatures and how adaptation can help reduce the risks they face. It will have a strong regional focus, as people tend to react to stories that come from places they know, Roberts said.
The challenge will be to bridge the gap between global emissions targets and the actions needed to meet them.
“This is a major hurdle, and it has to do with how we approach these issues,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, co-chair of the report. “The science is clear. How this actually translates into action and politics in society is not so clear.
Providing the motivation for action is an important part of the report, he added.
“Hesitation and waiting are no longer options for the future,” Pörtner said.
Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2022. E&E News provides essential information for energy and environmental professionals.
