According to the report, limiting warming to around 1.5°C requires global GHG emissions to peak before 2025 and reduce by 43 per cent by 2030
A new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report claims that there are realistic options in all sectors to cut down emissions by half by 2030.
The IPCC’s Working Group III report, Climate Change 2022, which came out on April 4, 2022, discusses numerous strategies to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in different sectors and presents realistic calculations to stop global mean temperature increase by 1.5°C and 2°C.
The report is the third instalment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which will be completed this year.
According to the latest report, average annual global GHG emissions were at their highest levels in human history between 2010 and 2019. But the rate of growth of these emissions has slowed down.
The report also suggested that since 2010, there have been sustained decreases of up to 85 per cent in the costs of solar and wind energy and batteries. This, along with an increasing range of policies and laws, has enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and accelerated the use of renewable energy.
“We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future. We have the tools and knowhow required to limit warming,” IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee, said.
The report says that cities and other urban areas also offer significant opportunities for emissions reductions through electrification of transport and enhanced carbon uptake and storage using nature.
Reducing emissions in industries such as steel, building materials and chemicals, should be taken up as a priority as they account for about a quarter of global emissions.
According to the report, limiting warming to around 1.5°C requires global GHG emissions to peak before 2025 and reduce by 43 per cent by 2030. The report also underlines that even in the best case scenario, it is almost inevitable that we will temporarily exceed this temperature threshold but could return to below it by the end of the century.
However, this relies on a clear and stronger alignment of public sector finance and policies.
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