On Monday August 9, 2021, the IPCC 2021 report entitled "Climate Change 2021: The Scientific Basis" was published. Unfortunately, the report's conclusions are not very encouraging.
What is the IPCC?
The IPCC is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It was set up in 1988 by two United Nations bodies. For over 30 years, this group has been assessing the state of knowledge on climate change. It provides an overview of the current climate situation. Its aim is not to take sides, but to provide a report on the climate situation based on the scientific information available, in order to better understand the risks associated with climate change and the alternatives that can be put in place to mitigate it.
The IPCC does not do its own research. Many dispute the veracity of the information it communicates, but one thing is certain: the IPCC's assessments are based on scientific publications whose value is widely recognized.
What does the report published on Monday August 9, 2021 tell us?
On August 9, 2021, the IPCC published the first part of its report. It is the result of the synthesis of 14,000 scientific studies, and was written by 234 authors.
This report irrefutably highlights the fact that the climate changes we are experiencing are the result of human activity (even if we have suspected this for years). The report confirms the seriousness of the situation.
The climatic events (floods, fires, droughts, heat waves, storms, etc.) that we have been witnessing for several years now, and which are becoming more pronounced as time goes by, are indeed the result of human activity.
Importantly, this is the first report to take into account tipping points (otherwise known as points of no return). In other words, a threshold which, if exceeded, will be responsible for major changes in climate. This is also known as a runaway phenomenon. These events include melting ice caps, changes in sea levels and forest dieback.
The report also shows that forests, soils and oceans will find it even harder to absorb CO2 emissions, which are at their highest level in 2 million years, reaching 410 parts per million in 2019.
It is also specified that the +1.5 degree threshold will be reached by 2040, and that the +2 degree threshold will be reached, according to 3 scenarios, by mid-century. The Paris Agreement objective of limiting temperature rises to 2 or even 1.5 degrees would therefore not be met.
What are the consequences of this temperature rise?
In addition to the persistence of extreme weather events, as mentioned above, coastal cities will have to contend with rising sea levels and, as a result, more frequent and severe flooding, and we're getting ever closer to the critical tolerance level for human health.
According to Alok Sharma, President of COP26, the IPCC report is "the strongest warning yet that human behavior is accelerating global warming at an alarming rate".
The latest IPCC report, summarizing the three parts, is due in autumn 2022.
What's the situation today?
We know: climate disruption is already here, and its consequences are already being felt all over the world. We've seen it this summer: you don't have to go far to see heavy flooding (in Germany and Belgium, but also in China), but also extreme heat causing fires ravaging North America and certain Mediterranean countries.
So human activity does have an impact on all regions of the globe.
Even if this report is not very positive, for the moment there is still hope: it is possible to reduce global warming and its consequences. As the co-chair of IPCC Group 1 puts it: "If we were to reduce greenhouse gas emissions sharply, rapidly and sustainably, we would see the benefits in 10 or 20 years' time". Many scientists agree that the solution lies in drastically changing our lifestyles and domestic policies. Strong, long-term decisions seem to be the only way forward.
What about companies?
The call goes out to businesses too: it's vital to reduce our carbon footprint and move towards a greener, more responsible economy.
At Elia, our commitments are our values. From the outset, our menstrual pants have been certified organic and Origine France Garantie. We encourage know-how and local production to reduce our CO2 emissions.
