UN report urges global cooperation to halt climate change
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
A new United Nations report stresses that in order to stop the most devastating effects of global warming, the world must take action by 2020.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) mitigation report was released Sunday in Berlin, and according to National Geographic, it contains 1,200 scenarios that could keep the most severe effects of global warming at bay by 2100. The proposals include growing forests to pulling carbon out of the air and painting roofs in a way that absorbs less heat.
"The longer we wait, the more costly things will be," says Charles Kolstad, a Stanford University economist and a lead author of the IPCC report. "It is possible to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, that's clear. But it will be a challenge."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
To better our chances of averting the worst effects of global warming, the report says, global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut 40 to 70 percent by mid-century. In order to meet that goal, nuclear, solar, or renewable energy sources have to be tripled or quadrupled.
This is the third in a series of reports released by the UN this year that focus on climate change. Read more at National Geographic.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Four key tax changes to prepare for in April
The Explainer With time running out, a last-minute checklist could help you make the most of your allowances
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Katespiracy: is the media to blame?
Talking Point Public statement about cancer diagnosis followed weeks of wild speculation and conspiracy theories
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why are people and elephants fighting in Sri Lanka?
Under The Radar Farmers encroaching into elephant habitats has led to deaths on both sides
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
EPA sets auto pollution rule that boosts EVs
Speed Read The Biden administration's new rules will push US automakers toward electric vehicles and hybrids
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How climate change is contributing to global unrest
In Depth Some experts argue that global warming can be tied to rising levels of violence around the world
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Why last-chance tourism is the latest controversial travel trend
The Explainer Race to visit places threatened by climate change 'before it's too late'
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
The 5 biggest corporate greenwashing fines
The Explainer Pretending to be green can be expensive
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How air pollution affects the brain
The Explainer Breathing fresh air is becoming more rare
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
It might be time to add a new hurricane category
Under the Radar Any way the wind blows
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The looming extinction of migratory animals
Under the Radar Some species are migrating straight out of existence
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published