Extreme heat killing people due to climate change: IPCC report

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its most significant scientific report in the last nine years. The document, endorsed by representatives of 195 countries, recognizes that the window of opportunity to prevent the average temperature of the planet from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius is rapidly closing.

Challenges and progress

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released a new report warning that if the planet's average temperature rises above 1.5 degrees Celsius, extreme heat waves and severe weather events will increase globally, posing risks to human health and ecosystems.

Report also notes that extreme heat is already causing deaths in all regions, and food and water insecurity is expected to rise due to warming. The report will serve as a scientific basis for discussions at the upcoming COP 28 climate change summit in Dubai.

The report is the most comprehensive compilation of climate science since the last evaluation almost a decade ago and highlights the devastating impact of climate change on humanity and ecosystems worldwide.

According to an expert from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), although some countries have managed to reduce their emissions, global action is not yet sufficient in scale and speed to limit the rise in temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The current level of emissions is still at a historical high, and the window of opportunity to prevent catastrophic climate change is rapidly closing.

The reports of the IPCC are highly influential and used by policymakers and governments to inform their actions and negotiations related to climate change.

Recently approved Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report was discussed and scrutinized line by line by government representatives during a week-long session in Switzerland in mid-March.

Most important data

There are already low-cost solutions available for transforming the entire economy towards sustainability. In fact, renewable energy sources like wind and solar have seen an 85% decrease in costs over the last decade.

It is crucial to protect and preserve natural areas, with the IPCC highlighting the need to conserve 30-50% of the planet's land, freshwater, and oceans to maintain the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem services on a global scale.

Action is needed urgently within this decade and by 2035, which is the deadline for the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The IPCC's findings emphasize the need for immediate and comprehensive action towards mitigating the effects of climate change.

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