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.
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 has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Foreigners in Spain facing a 100% tax on homes as the country battles a housing crisis
Under the Radar The goal is to provide 'more housing, better regulation and greater aid,' said Spain's prime minister
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Codeword: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 22, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
How will home insurance change after LA's fires?
Today's Big Question Climate disasters leave insurance industry in crisis
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
The controversy over rewilding in the UK
The Explainer 'Irresponsible and illegal' release of four lynxes into Scottish Highlands 'entirely counterproductive' say conservationists
By The Week UK Published
-
What happens to wildlife during a wildfire?
The explainer Flames also affect the flora and fauna
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
2024: the year of extreme hurricanes
In the Spotlight An eagle eye at a deadly hurricane season
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Chocolate is the latest climate change victim, but scientists may have solutions
Under the radar Making the sweet treat sustainable
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published