ZOOM on the IPCC report

Summary of the report

The current state of the climate

• There is no longer any doubt: humans are warming the atmosphere, the oceans and the land. These changes are widespread and rapid.
• The magnitude of current climate change has not been observed for centuries, if not thousands of years.
• There is much stronger evidence of human (so-called anthropogenic) responsibility for heat waves, torrential rains, droughts, and tropical storms.

Possible climate futures

• Temperatures will continue to warm until at least 2050, but we can still avoid 2°C or even 1.5°C of warming compared to the pre-industrial era if we sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions very quickly.
• As the world warms, there will be an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events on land and in the oceans, heavy rainfall, drought in some regions, tropical storms, and a decrease in Arctic sea ice, snow cover and permafrost.
• Globally, the monsoons will experience greater extremes between wet and dry.
• If CO2 emissions continue to rise, the oceans and land will be increasingly unable to absorb it.
• Some impacts will be irreversible for thousands of years, such as melting ice caps and rising sea levels.

Climate information for regional risk assessment and adaptation

• Natural climate events such as El Niño and La Niña will continue to have some impact on some small-scale regions, but overall will have little impact on the long-term trend of global warming.
• Compared to a +1.5°C warming, the impacts will be greater with a 2°C warming. In other words, every fraction of a degree we can avoid counts.
• Even if the collapse of ice caps and ocean circulation is unlikely by 2100, we should not ignore this possibility.

Limiting future climate change

• To stop global warming, we must at least achieve CO2 neutrality and sharply reduce emissions of other greenhouse gases.
• A rapid and abrupt reduction in greenhouse gases can quickly lead to a more stable climate and improved air quality.