Europe – IPCC Synthesis Report 2023 – Five lessons to keep in mind
For those who wish to
accompany the current climate emergency, it is always helpful to have a
scientific-based approach to the topic. One good way of doing so is to keep
up-to-date with the latest reports from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). IPCC is a scientific
body, created by the United Nations (UN) in 1988, made of thousands of experts
who are tasked with periodically summarising the best scientific knowledge on
climate change.
The most recent report from the IPCC was the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), published in March 2023. The report summarises the latest knowledge and recommends steps on mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as brings together the best scientific research from the past four years.
- International cooperation is essential
The most important revelation to be found in this report is the reaffirmation that global warming is human caused and that net zero CO2 emissions must be achieved.
The report states that “cumulative carbon emissions until the time of reaching net zero CO2 emissions and the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions this decade largely determine whether global warming can be limited to 1.5°C or 2°C.” In other words, global warming is determined by the total amount of GHG emitted throughout history. The more emissions we have, the higher the temperatures will go. The only way to stop global warming is to eliminate GHG emissions entirely. This means that not only should we not let new investments happen into fossil infrastructure, but also that some of the existing GHG producing industrial facilities should be eliminated before the end of their lifecycle, in a hard economic decision that scientists deem essential to stay below the 1.5°C warming threshold. Read more …
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We're sharing here the Report presented by the Environmental Sciences for Social Change (ESSC) led by our dear colleague Pedro Walpole, who has been the leader of Ecojesuit since 2017. We would especially like to thank Pedro and the ESSC Team for the enormous and extraordinary work done in the animation of the GIAN of Integral Ecology during the last seven years; the report is an impressive display of his creativity and, above all, of their passion for the sacred gift of Creation. As Pedro himself expresses in the presentation of the report, we pray that: “may these times and events that we have all shared be a source of great consolation, courage and hope; Jesus walks with us!” We count on your collaboration and participation in GIAN - Integral Ecology.
