The IPCC Report

Eight years in the making, the final of the instalment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was released on March 20th.

The clear message from both the IPCC and the Committee for Climate Change is that more needs to be done … and the more that needs to be done, needs to be done asap !

• Deep, rapid and sustained emission cuts and faster action on climate adaptation in this decade would reduce future losses and damages related to climate change for humans and ecosystems.

• Delayed mitigating action will further increase global warming with the resulting damage and hardships.

• Feasible, effective and low cost options to quickly drive down emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change are already known and available.

So unless we want the next few generations to be struggling with the reality of the planet being over 3° warmer as well as wondering what on earth our generation was doing while there was still the chance to make a difference  … we best get a move on ! 

What does that mean in practise? 
It seems as if in our neck of the woods  (one of the monetarily richest nations on the globe) we need to live with less and share more … as well as making sure those in local, regional and national government are crystal clear about the necessary priorities for example: 

• more renewables,

• more public transport,

• a comprehensive retrofit of the current housing stock

  to name but a few.

So please keep on badgering our elected representatives … it may be a pain to have to do this, but it’s be something our descendants may thank us for.