Scientists worldwide issued an urgent warning amid the IPCC report, which confirms human activity as the primary cause of escalating temperatures.
A group of 50 leading scientists globally has raised concerns about the Earth experiencing a temperature rise of 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade. In a study targeting policymakers, they confirmed that from 2013 to 2022, "human-induced warming has been increasing at an unprecedented rate of over 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade."
"Despite not having reached the 1.5C warming threshold, the carbon budget is expected to be depleted within a few years," stated lead author Piers Forster, a physics professor at the University of Leeds, as reported by AFP.
According to Forster and his colleagues, who were core contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the carbon budget has halved since the UN's climate science advisory body gathered data for its latest benchmark report in 2021.
Amidst the backdrop of the IPCC report, the most recent analysis highlights the alarming prospect of irreversible climate damage. The report concludes that in order to adhere to the warming limit established in Paris, the global community must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2035, relative to 2019 levels. This newly introduced target was absent from the six prior reports published between 2018 and now.
The forthcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai will present world leaders with the latest findings, as they undergo a "Global Stocktake" during the UN talks. This assessment aims to evaluate the progress made towards achieving the temperature objectives outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The IPCC reports have recognized human activity as the primary factor behind the increasing temperatures worldwide.
Human activities, primarily through emissions of greenhouse gases, have undeniably led to global warming, resulting in the global surface temperature surpassing 1.1°C above the 1850–1900 level during the period of 2011–2020.
Scientists have stated that the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other factors contributing to warming, predominantly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, must not exceed 250 billion tonnes (Gt) if we desire even the slightest possibility of remaining below the 1.5C threshold.
The group additionally stated that maintaining the temperature targets outlined in the Paris Agreement would necessitate a minimum 40 percent reduction in CO2 pollution by 2030, with complete elimination by the middle of the century, as determined by the IPCC.
The UN-led IPCC indicated that if the world persists in utilizing all current or proposed infrastructure powered by fossil fuels, the Earth will experience a minimum 2 degrees Celsius increase in temperature since pre-industrial times, according to the report.
Researchers have observed a significant and alarming escalation in temperature rises across land areas (excluding oceans) since 2000.
