The report reveals that despite the alarming surge in extreme weather, humanity has made only marginal progress in reducing planet-warming emissions.
In a dire assessment of this year’s relentless surge in heat records and unprecedented weather extremes, prominent scientists have declared that the escalating climate crisis now constitutes an “existential threat” to life on our planet.
With 2023 poised to become the hottest year ever recorded, regions worldwide have been ravaged by lethal heatwaves, while others grapple with devastating floods, and in some instances, endure both catastrophes in rapid succession.
An international coalition of experts, publishing their findings in the journal BioScience, expressed deep alarm at the intensity of these events, emphasizing that humanity finds itself in uncharted territory. Their stark conclusion: “Life on planet Earth is under siege.”
The report reveals that despite the alarming surge in extreme weather, humanity has made only marginal progress in reducing planet-warming emissions. Major greenhouse gases are at historic highs, while subsidies for fossil fuels skyrocketed last year.
This sobering evaluation comes just a month ahead of the UN COP28 climate negotiations scheduled in the United Arab Emirates.
The scientists assert that it’s imperative to shift the perception of the climate crisis from an isolated environmental concern to a systemic, existential menace.
Examining recent data on 35 critical planetary “vital signs,” the study found that 20 of them reached unprecedented extremes this year.
A mere increase of approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels has already triggered a cascade of disastrous and costly consequences. This year also witnessed the onset of a warming El Niño weather pattern.
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the three months leading to September were the hottest period ever recorded, likely the warmest in approximately 120,000 years.
Numerous climate-related records were shattered in 2023, particularly regarding ocean temperatures, which have absorbed nearly all the excess heat stemming from human-induced carbon emissions. Co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, highlighted that recorded sea surface temperatures have reached unprecedented levels, presenting an enigma for scientists.
These extremes pose significant threats to marine life, coral reefs, and could intensify the frequency of large tropical storms, according to the report. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will help to reduce the frequency and threats of extreme weather events, which will protect marine life, coral reefs, and coastal communities.
Across the globe, people have faced brutal heatwaves, droughts, and severe flooding, affecting regions in the US, China, India, and beyond. In Canada, wildfires exacerbated by climate change released more carbon dioxide than the country’s entire 2021 greenhouse gas emissions.
Days with global average temperatures surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels were previously rare. By mid-September this year, 38 such days had already been recorded.
Lead author William Ripple, professor at Oregon State University, warned that we may be entering a phase where annual temperatures consistently breach this threshold, risking dangerous climate feedback loops and irreversible tipping points.
The report underscores that immediate action to slash emissions and curb temperature rise is imperative. Co-author Tim Lenton, director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, stressed the critical importance of every fraction of a degree. He emphasized that while certain tipping points may now be unavoidable, slowing the damage remains crucial.
The report paints a stark picture of the future, with three to six billion people potentially facing intolerable conditions, including severe heat, food scarcity, and extreme climate events, by the end of the century. The authors call on world leaders to prioritize massive cuts in fossil fuel emissions and increased funding for climate adaptation, especially in the most vulnerable regions.