IPCC Warns: 12 Years Left to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued a stark warning, urging global cooperation and structural changes to prevent catastrophic climate change within 12 years. The report highlights the urgent need to limit global warming to 1.5°C, stressing that even half a degree more increases risks of extreme weather, rising sea levels, and diminishing Arctic sea ice. However, Germany, once a leader in climate protection, is now seen as a barrier to international climate strategies.
The IPCC report, released this week, underscores that the 1.5°C goal is still achievable. It calls for rapid expansion of renewable energy and swift phasing out of fossil fuels, along with restructuring taxation and consumption habits. However, the current German government, led by Angela Merkel, has not prioritized climate protection and rejected a special session to discuss the report. Instead, Germany's representatives lobbied for a lower emissions standard for cars at EU negotiations, despite the IPCC's warnings.
Experts believe that the world is currently heading towards a 3°C change, which would have significantly worse impacts than a 1.5°C or 2°C change. The IPCC report emphasizes that global warming exceeding 1.5°C would transform the world in 20 years or less, with increased risks of extreme weather, food shortages, and poverty. In contrast, the German government's overall goal is climate neutrality by 2045, but it has not announced comprehensive measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent to achieve the IPCC’s 1.5°C target. New elections and a new government are seen as a potential catalyst for increased climate action in Germany.
The IPCC report underscores the urgent need for global cooperation and structural changes to mitigate climate change effectively. While the 1.5°C goal is still achievable, Germany's stance as a defiant force in international climate strategies is concerning. As the world faces the prospect of catastrophic climate change within 12 years, the upcoming elections in Germany offer an opportunity for increased climate action and a return to the country's former role as a pioneer in climate protection.
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