An Taisce is calling for “immediate and transformative action” to keep global heating below 1.5°, following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) report today (April 4).
The third part of the sixth assessment report from the IPCC was released this afternoon.
It focuses on climate change mitigation and provides an assessment of the methods for removing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere.
The report stresses the requirement for rapid changes to current emissions levels from all nations across all GHGs, particularly methane, if the planet is to stay behind the critical 1.5o threshold.
Chair of the climate committee at An Taisce, Kevin O’Farrell said:
“The report is focused on efforts to remove GHGs as well as reduce GHG emissions, and includes a discussion on Negative Emission Technologies (NET), Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and carbon dioxide [CO2] storage.
“Such technologies are unproven in their effectiveness. We cannot depend on largely unknown and unproven technologies when the present and future threats to many people and our climate system are so great.
“It would simply be immoral to gamble the lives of future generations on them.”
Against the backdrop of the invasion of Ukraine, the report is also calling for an urgent transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. It acknowledges in it, the international interdependence that has been highlighted by energy security concerns resulting from the conflict.
According to the report, the responsibility to act lies first with developed and industrialised countries such as Ireland, which have the highest historical emissions.
“The scientific evidence offered by the IPCC emphasises no further delay in drastically reducing climate damaging pollution,” said O’Farrell.
“For wealthy, high emitting countries like Ireland that means urgent and rapid action in cutting fossil fuel subsidies, further ramping up transition to renewable energy and stopping practices that are killing biodiversity and harming nature.”
A focus on methane within the report was predicted by a number of organisations in the release of their collective plan ‘Methane Matters‘ last week.
Their report highlighted the importance of focusing on non-CO2 emissions and outlined steps that governments can take to cut methane in agriculture.