Climate Report Warns World Is Close to Last Chance

A group of United Nations scientists warned Monday that humanity is close to its last chance to prevent the worst of climate change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the world will need to cut carbon pollution and fossil fuel use by nearly two-thirds by the year 2035. The scientists called for an end to new fossil fuel exploration. And they urged countries to stop using coal, oil and gas by 2040.

"Humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. "Our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once."

Guterres not only called for "no new coal" but also called for ending its use in rich countries by 2030 and in poor countries by 2040. He called for carbon-free electricity generation in the developed world by 2035. That is the year that nations have to come up with goals for pollution reduction under the Paris climate agreement.

Exceeding Paris agreement limit

The 2015 Paris climate agreement set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius¹ since pre-industrial times. But the world has already warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius.

The scientists told the Associated Press that this is likely the last warning they will be able to make about the 1.5-degree mark. They added their next reports will likely come after Earth has either passed the 1.5 mark or is on its way to passing it soon.

Many scientists say hitting 1.5 degrees is inevitable² -- or sure to happen.

"We are pretty much locked into 1.5," said Malte Meinshausen, a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia. But the concern, he added, is whether the temperature keeps rising from there.

After 1.5 degrees "the risks are starting to pile on," said report co-writer Francis X. Johnson. He is a climate, land and policy scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

The IPCC's latest report said the risks include loss of species and coral reefs, irreversible melting of ice sheets, and several meters of rising sea levels.

The scientists said that to stay under the warming limit, the world needs to cut 60 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions³ by 2035, compared with 2019 levels. That is a new target not included in the six reports issued since 2018.

"We are not on the right track but it's not too late," said report co-writer and water scientist Aditi Mukherji.

An earlier IPCC report detailed⁴ how the harms would be much worse if the planet experiences more than 1.5 degrees of warming.

In the new report, scientists say continuing the use of fossil fuel to power existing or proposed infrastructure⁵ will warm the Earth at least 2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.

Dipak Dasgupta is a co-writer of the report and a climate economist⁶ at The Energy and Resources Institute in India. He said because the report is based on data from a few years ago, the measurements about fossil fuel projects do not include the increase in coal and natural gas use following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Hoesung Lee is the IPCC chief scientist. He said the report contains "a message of hope in addition to those various scientific findings."

Lee said, "It's up to each government to find the best solution."

"The possibility is still there," Lee said.

Words in This Story

fossil fuel - n. fuel such as coal, oil or gas that is formed in the earth

pile on - phrasal verb. add something in large amount

species - n. a group of animals or plants that are similar

coral reef - n. a long line of coral that lies in warm, shallow water

irreversible - adj. impossible to change back to previous condition or state

on the right track - idiom. following a course that is likely to result in success

infrastructure - n. equipment, roads and bridges that are needed for a country, area,... to function properly

1 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

2 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

3 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

4 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。