UN Report Warns of Catastrophic Levels of Heating Unless Immediate and Radical Action is Taken

A new United Nations report released on Monday warns that the world is rapidly approaching catastrophic levels of heating with international climate goals set to slip out of reach unless immediate and radical action is taken. The report, which was compiled by thousands of climate scientists contributing to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, draws on the findings of hundreds of scientists to provide a comprehensive assessment of how the climate crisis is unfolding.

The report states that the climate time-bomb is ticking and that there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. It also states that the technology needed to adapt to climate change and keep harmful emissions at bay is available, and that a clear path exists to a more sustainable world and a stable climate.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said in a statement to mark the launch of the report that “mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action will not only reduce losses and damages for nature and people, it will also create jobs, strengthen economies, and improve public health and well-being.”

The report emphasizes that the science is not new, and that it is simply pulling together what the IPCC has already set out in a cluster of other reports over the last few years. It is now up to governments, businesses, and individuals to take action and ensure that the world is able to avoid the worst effects of climate change.