Leading climate scientists issued their landmark report on climate solutions, directly to world governments, saying it's "now or never" if we are to meet the Paris Agreement 1.5°C warming limit earlier this month.
And the response?
Well, not what we need. Since the release, governments have announced or approved new oil and gas projects, despite the IPCC science saying we already have too many!
Climate scientists have had enough
A growing number of scientists have had enough, feeling obliged to step out of their labs and onto the streets to demand greater action. Following the release of the IPCC report, about 1000 scientists and academics in 25 countries took part in demonstrations, urging governments to act on the science. In the UK, a group of scientists glued scientific papers – and their own hands – to the windows of the government department responsible for energy, protesting the government plans for licensing of new oil and gas fields.
It's easy to get frustrated
It's been 30 years since the UN Climate Agreement was signed in Rio de Janeiro, and we haven't even reached peak emissions yet! Talking about that peak, we definitely can't afford to let emissions grow for yet another three years, unlike some reporting on the IPCC has suggested. By 2025, we need to reduce emissions, and fast. That means emissions need to start declining now.
But here's the thing on the IPCC report that hasn't received enough attention yet: We Can!
Solutions are here – faster than expected!
According to the IPCC, we have all the tools we need to halve global emissions in just eight years, which is required to meet the Paris Agreement goal. More than half of these measures would come with low costs or even negative costs!
Much of this is due to solar and wind, which have become cheaper and bigger much faster than expected, now undercutting the costs of coal and gas in most markets. They have the potential to change the game for good, if governments allow them to, by forcing fossil fuels out of the way.
This is where you and I come in.
We need to make sure science isn't ignored, but acted on. You can start by watching & sharing the video below: Solutions are here. Let's go!
Kaisa Kosonen is a Senior Policy Advisor with Greenpeace Nordic.
