The report has been adopted by all governments around the world before its presentation, thus there is not only a scientific but also a political consensus behind it. The report addressed to citizens and politicians all around the world.
One of the biggest problem is that countries around the world have been letting go of emissions for too long, thus global warming is sure to continue for the next 30 years.
The report also makes it clear that global warming is caused by human activities: the planet's climate has warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels.
The authors of the report have warned governments to take serious steps: fossil fuels must be phased out quickly. One of the report’s experts, Piers Forster, told the New York Times that we need to be prepared for the fact that extreme weather events will become more frequent in the next 20 or 30 years and the situation even could be worse.
According to the report, by the end of the century, a 2-3 degrees is not unthinkable, which according to previous model calculations could have intangible consequences for human societies.
To avoid this, it would be necessary not to release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by 2050. The report found that climate change is affecting all regions of the world. There are extreme examples like:
- for at least 3,000 years, sea levels have not risen as much as they have recently
- the level of the Arctic seas has been the lowest for a thousand years,
- atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are at their highest level for two million years,
According to forecast models, it could lead to even more extreme heat waves, rains, droughts, and could also severely damage the oceans.
Pursuant to the authors the coordinated action is needed and the planet’s future is in the hands of the people, the authors said coordinated action is needed.
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