IPCC warns preventing climate catastrophe is nearly out of reach

Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will soon be out of reach. That’s the sobering finding of a report released this week by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which concludes that, unless the world dramatically slashes greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years — starting right now — we will not meet the most important milestone on the path to preventing a climate catastrophe.   

As the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, the U.S. has a critical leadership role to play in addressing this crisis, here at home and around the world. In the coming months, Congress can take a big step forward on both fronts, by passing a reconciliation bill containing the climate provisions that were negotiated last fall and by increasing funding for international climate efforts through the annual appropriations process. 

The IPCC report paints a grim future if we fail to keep planetary warming below the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees. We have now warmed the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius and every point of a degree matters. At a 1.5–degree increase, 1 billion people would be exposed to severe heatwaves every five years. Global sea levels would rise by 1.5 feet, threatening millions of people and trillions of dollars’ worth of property, critical infrastructure and commerce that depends on coastal ports. At 2 degrees of warming, those same heatwaves would impact 2.7 billion people every year and global sea levels would rise by 1.8 feet, with catastrophic impacts to coastal communities.  

The good news is that we know the solutions to addressing climate change. To avoid the worst impacts, we need to stop burning fossil fuels, accelerate the use of clean energy, adopt more sustainable production and consumption practices and reverse the loss of nature and biodiversity. Accomplishing all that is no mean feat, but consider this: The world’s 20 largest economies, which include the U.S., are responsible for 80 percent of global emissions. If these G20 nations aligned their emissions reduction targets with what science says is necessary to keep warming below 1.5 degrees, and actually implemented plans to meet those targets, they could get the world most of the way to its climate goals — all on their own.  

The U.S. must lead the way. We made a good start last year by committing to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Now Congress must follow through on that ambition by passing a budget reconciliation bill that includes the climate provisions approved by the House last fall. These provisions would help fund the investments needed to meet our 2030 climate goal by creating tax credits and incentives to enable wide-scale deployment of clean energy and adoption of electric vehicles. They would establish a “national green bank” to develop infrastructure projects across the U.S., with a commitment to dedicate 40 percent of resources to historically disadvantaged communities. The provisions would also fund upgrades to critical infrastructure that help communities better withstand extreme weather events. And they would promote nature-based solutions to climate change through forest and grassland conservation, coastal restoration and improved soil health.  

The U.S. also needs to make good on its commitment to the developing world. To that end, we must support international climate efforts that promote economic growth — and mitigate emissions, such as clean energy technologies and more sustainable agricultural practices. In addition, we must help nations and communities adapt to climate impacts that are baked into their near future — particularly in the tropics, which are among the regions hardest hit by climate impacts and play an outsize role in stabilizing the climate through maintaining natural carbon sinks like forests, mangroves, peatlands and salt marshes. 

In 2009, as part of international climate negotiations, rich nations promised to collectively provide $100 billion every year in climate finance to less-developed countries. Twelve years later, that promise still has not been met, and the failure of the U.S. to do its fair share is a large reason why. Last fall, President Biden pledged that the U.S. would join other countries in ramping up its international climate finance — quadrupling its financial commitment to $11.4 billion by 2024. Congress needs to deliver on this promise by finalizing its fiscal year 2022 funding bills, which contain significant increases for international climate efforts, with even more ambitious commitments in fiscal year 2023.  

The recent IPCC report lays bare how close we are to losing the first critical battle in the fight for an environment that will continue to support our health and well-being. It points out that we have the tools and capability to rise to this challenge but need to garner the political will to act boldly, act fast and act now. Addressing climate change will inevitably cause some economic disruptions as we transition to new forms of energy. However, the IPCC report underscores that the costs in dollars and lives will be substantially greater if we don’t act.  

There can be no more delays. We are out of time. This is a turning point in history, where our elected leaders must choose to respond to this crisis in a way that will secure the future of generations to come. Passing ambitious domestic climate provisions and fulfilling our global commitments will ensure that a safer and more prosperous world does not slip from our grasp. 

Marcene Mitchell is senior vice president of climate change at World Wildlife Fund (WWF).