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Interlaken, Switzerland – Today, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) wraps up its final chapter, the full story of the sixth assessment is released to world governments.
In the first comprehensive IPCC report in nine years and the first since the Paris Agreement, the synthesis report brings together three working group reports and three special reports to paint a sobering reality, but none without hope if governments act now.
Kaisa Kosonen, Senior Policy Expert, Greenpeace Nordic said: “The threats are huge, but so are the opportunities for change. This is our moment to rise up, magnify and be bold. Governments need to stop doing just a little bit better and start doing enough.
Thanks to brave scientists, communities and progressive leaders around the world who have persistently advanced climate solutions such as solar and wind power for years and decades; We now have everything it takes to resolve this mess. It's time to up our game, get even bigger, deliver on climate justice and get rid of fossil fuel interests. There is a role that anyone can play.”
Reyes Tirado, Senior Scientist, Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter said: “Climate science is inescapable: this is our survival guide. The choices we make today and every day for the next eight years will ensure a safer earth for millennia to come.
Politicians and business leaders around the world must make a choice: be a climate champion for present and future generations, or a villain leaving a toxic legacy for our children or grandchildren.”
Tracy Carty, Global Climate Policy Expert at Greenpeace International, said:
“We do not wait for miracles; We have all the solutions needed to halve emissions this decade. But we won't make it unless governments call out the time on climate-damaging fossil fuels. Agreeing on a fair and quick exit from coal, oil and gas must be a top priority for governments.
Governments must make polluters pay for the damage done to countries and communities least responsible for the climate crisis. Windfall taxes on huge oil and gas profits to help people recover from losses and damages would be a good start. The writing is on the wall - it's time to stop drilling and start paying.”
Li Shuo, Senior Policy Advisor, Greenpeace East Asia said:
“The research is very clear. China must reduce fossil fuel consumption immediately. Expanding renewable energies on the side is not enough. At this stage, we need to have our hands full to achieve a renewable energy future, and the longer we invest in coal, the more vulnerable we all are to climate catastrophes that are already a serious threat. And the financial risk posed by new coal-fired power plants should worry any observer.”
The report reiterated that the solutions already exist and that this is the pivotal decade for climate action, as climate impacts continue to worsen and are expected to escalate with any additional warming. The IPCC laid down the facts as detailed scientific guidance, giving governments another chance to do what's right for people and the planet.
But time and opportunity are not unlimited, and the report will guide climate policy for the rest of the year, leaving world leaders to make progress or continue to enable climate injustice. COP28, the upcoming climate summit in the United Arab Emirates, must address today's updated report in the crucial race to end fossil fuel dependency, promote renewable energy and support a just transition to a zero-carbon future.”
Independent Greenpeace Key Takeaways briefing from the IPCC AR6 Synthesis and the reports of Working Groups I, II & III.
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Photos: Greenpeace
