After gathering in Interlaken, Switzerland last week, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Monday announced the release of its Sixth Assessment Report, analyzing the current state of climate change knowledge, the impact of climate change and possible abatements.
The report outlines a multitude of response efforts and abatement measures. The studies first recommend that governments escalate their use existing environmental and economic regulatory systems to enforce climate plans. It also recommends ending fossil fuel subsidies. The IPCC indicated that they had “high confidence” in the ability of these solutions to make a difference before the window of time to reverse climate change closes. The report also suggests governments implement carbon taxes. The need for international cooperation, as well as cooperation between all levels of government, was emphasized as a necessity for progress.
The Secretary General and the report both discussed equity and intersectionality in response to climate solutions. The report noted that “drawing on diverse knowledges and cultural values, meaningful participation and inclusive engagement processes…facilitates climate resilient development, builds capacity and allows locally appropriate and socially acceptable solutions.” One of the authors of the report, Aditi Mukherji, commented that “Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed the least to climate change are being disproportionately affected.”
In his press conference, UN Secretary General António Guterres called nations to action, specifically the G20. He echoed the report’s call to developed, higher polluting, nations to phase out coal use by 2040, remove fossil fuel subsidies, and to stop oil and gas reserve expansion. The report calls out the global wealth gap, stating that there is “sufficient global capital” to fund climate action.
A summary of the SYR is available for policymakers. The full Sixth Assessment Report’s Synthesis Report remains unreleased but is expected to be available soon.
