Climate report stresses that taking climate action now can secure our future

The latest report from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) warns that Climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and health of the planet. Taking action now can secure our future.

The second instalment of the IPCC Sixth Assessment, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, was published today (Monday 28th February 2022) by the IPCC’s Working Group II. The report outlines that any further delay in global action on adaptation and mitigation “will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”.

The IPCC Working Group II assesses the impacts of climate change, from a world-wide to a regional view of ecosystems, biodiversity, humans cultures and settlements. It considers their vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of these natural and human systems to adapt to climate change.

“This report recognizes the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and people and integrates natural, social and economic sciences more strongly than earlier IPCC assessments,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “It emphasizes the urgency of immediate and more ambitious action to address climate risks. Half measures are no longer an option.”

Keith Lambkin, Senior Climatologist at Met Éireann said: “This significant report outlines clear options on how we can adapt to our changing climate. Significant progress has been made in the area of sector and regional climate adaptation planning in Ireland in recent years. That focus is now moving towards implementation. To support Irish adaptation decision makers, Met Éireann and our partners, have been developing ‘Climate Services’ to help translate the latest agreed IPCC climate science, into usable actionable information.”

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD said: “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the world’s most authoritative climate science body and today’s report is a stark reminder, to us all, of the need to act to avoid the most damaging and catastrophic effects of climate change.”

The full statement from Minister Ryan can be read here.

The Working Group II report is the second of three instalments of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Reports. The first report, published in August 2021, assessed the physical science of climate change. The third report on the mitigation of climate change is due to be published in April this year. All three reports will be combined into a summary Synthesis Report later in the year thus completing the IPCC Sixth Assessment cycle.

For more information on the newly published IPCC Sixth Assessment Working Group II report can be found here.