If you were to tune into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest presser for its third report—this time focused on climate change mitigation—the words of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres would shock you. “The jury has reached a verdict and it is damning,” Guterres began in a video message on Monday. “This report of the IPCC is a litany of broken climate promises. It is a file of shame cataloging the empty pledges that put us firmly on track towards an unlivable world.” Guterres lists some of the consequences of staying the course and calls out governments and major industries still toeing the fossil fuel line to the tune of emissions actually rising 14% according to the U.N. head.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Guterres said. “This report is factored on mitigation, cutting emissions. It sets out viable, financially sound options in every sector.” There is a point of no return, of course, but there’s still time to implement some of the mitigation techniques listed in the report that do the most to reduce emissions, such as major transfers towards renewables and adopting circular manufacturing procedures, some of which are already past the stage of initial development and that the IPCC has a high level of confidence could prove game-changing for high pollution sectors like building materials and metals.
The IPCC report lays out many solutions to the problems of our own creation. It’s honest about the roles of Europe and North America in pumping out nearly half of all emissions generated since the heyday of the industrial revolution as well as the role East Asian countries now play in the high generation of greenhouse gas emissions, with China overtaking the U.S. as the planet’s top emitter in 2006. The countries heavily reliant on fossil fuels with lesser developed economies are the ones these top emitters must help transition towards greener means of production and power, both as a means of environmental justice and to reach the goals first established in the Paris Agreement.
Addressing the damage already done is also a key component of the report, with some scientists calling the plugging of orphaned and abandoned wells “low-hanging fruit” that can be easily achieved. The U.S. is already setting out to award funding to states looking to plug and remediate orphaned wells, with the public comment period on proposed draft guidance closing just last week. Accountability is key in addressing this crisis, as it is in holding those issuing its guidance to the same high standard they hope for the world. Reports indicated that the IPCC report’s finalization came down to the wire and that countries like Saudi Arabia had a direct hand in weakening fossil fuel phase-out language, with the report ultimately pushing carbon capture and storage as a potential way to better reduce emissions.
The technology frequently poses a risk to vulnerable communities, is prohibitively expensive given its unimpressive returns, and keeps countries more reliant on fossil fuels than they rightfully should be. It’s net-zero, not net-smidgen. Though the world still needs a way to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, reforestation and stewardship remain critical ways to both work towards a more equitable future and reach at least livable goals when it comes to rising temperatures. A worldwide investment of $400 billion must be allocated to addressing forest management, and investment in better technologies that capture greenhouse gases without harming the communities must be taken into consideration. As IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee said during Monday’s presser, “We are at a crossroads … This is the time for action,” Lee continued. “We have the tools and knowhow to limit warming and secure a livable future.”
