Nations are not doing enough to protect their countries, cities, citizens and livelihoods from the devastating hazards and disasters that climate change entail. Droughts are severe, seas are rising, and disasters are increasing. Species are disappearing, floods and fires are mounting, and famines displace millions of people as the planet gets hotter.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirm and establish these facts in their sixth major new scientific report released on Monday 27 February. IPCC is a body of experts convened by the United Nations, and the report is the work of 270 researchers from 67 countries.
According to NYTimes, the United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres finds the report to be
“an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership. With fact upon fact, this report reveals how people and the planet are getting clobbered by climate change.”
This time, the report is the most detailed look yet at the concrete threats that we are facing. An obvious conclusion is that the planet is in grave danger. Changes are so rapid that it is soon no longer possible for nature and humanity to adapt. The planet risks being irreversibly damaged.
According to the report, there is only one thing to do to prevent serious catastrophes: nations must immediately reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
When dealing with migration and displacement issues, we promote a human rights based approach. Read Senior Researcher Dr. Matthew Scott’s blog post commenting the new report in relation to migration and human rights.
How the New IPCC Report Addresses Migration and Human Rights