The IPCC's Climate Change Mitigations
The IPCC and its role
On April 4th 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its new report on climate change, assessing the actions taken to fight climate change and examining the sources of global emissions.
The IPCC is the UN body responsible for the assessment of climate change, mitigation progresses and actions, as well as for the investigation on global emissions. Established in 1988, it also aims at clarifying risks and implications to policy leaders for them to develop climate policies. As of today, the Panel has 195 member states.
The new report
This report is the third released by the IPCC in the past eight months. The group plans to release its sixth assessment later this year. The new assessment will bring together the August 2021 report and the February 2022 one. The two reports focus on mitigation and on the role of humans in climate change respectively.
The April 4 report indicates that global emissions must top out by 2025 and be cut by 43% by 2030 to have a chance of staying under that 1.5°C target. Ultimately, the world will need to reach net-zero carbon emissions by the early 2050s, scientists say, which is the point at which the global temperature will stop rising.
The same report also highlights the central role of colonialism as a driver of climate change. This is a landmark statement as it points out a number of things. First of all, it acknowledges the historical role of colonialism as a cause for global warming. Moreover, it also warns on the ongoing threat for the entire planet. Finally, it calls for the key position of decolonisation in shaping future climate policies.
Some recommendations
However, the report does not only provide bad news. Scientists have in fact listed some recommendations that still give a bit of hope. The authors suggest that investment in renewable energy, green building and responsible land use could lower emissions enough to stay below an increase of 1.5°C (2.7°F).
Furthermore, the authors take the chance to hand over the role of climate protectors to decisions-makers. As a matter of fact, they need to focus on innovative decision-making, that fosters climate resilient development pathways. Ultimately, scientists recognize them as the people who can implement laws and take action against climate change.