IPCC report: unequivocal reactions
Reactions abound following the publication of the second part of the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , published on Monday. By focusing on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, this report presents the damage caused by climate change at different levels. The magnitude of the predicted risks represents a real threat, whether to the most vulnerable communities, ecosystems or future generations.
The head of the Climate-Energy campaign at Greenpeace Canada, Patrick Bonin, is sounding the alarm to governments. “They must ensure a rapid elimination of the use of fossil fuels and propose a climate action that is much more ambitious and respectful of the requirements of science,” he says.
In North America, Greenpeace highlights in particular mental health issues related to the climate, a risk of degradation of marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems or even for food and nutritional security. Therefore, priority must be given to climate and biodiversity.
The climate policy analyst at Équiterre, Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, nevertheless points out that “the worst scenarios mentioned by the IPCC are completely avoidable if we stop taking half measures, listen to science and act to quickly put an end to our dependence on fossil fuels”. The third part of the report, which will be published in April 2022, will focus on ways to mitigate climate change.
Inclusive development
As climate hazards increase, the IPCC has observed in its report that weather-related mortality has been 15 times higher in vulnerable areas over the past ten years. Faced with growing inequalities, it is therefore without delay that choices in favor of inclusive development must be made.
“The rights and needs of the most vulnerable people must be placed at the heart and center of climate action,” says Greenpeace Nordic Senior Policy Advisor Kaisa Kosonen.
It is obvious that the reality of the countries of the North diverges from that of the countries of the South, but the fact remains that climate risks spare no territory. For example, forest fires ravaged several Canadian provinces in 2021 due to periods of drought and high heat.
As a privileged country, Canada also has a crucial role to play since its per capita emissions are among the highest in the world, as the David Suzuki Foundation points out. On this point, Eddy Pérez, director of international climate diplomacy and lecturer at the University of Montreal, is firm.
“The drastic reduction of emissions by all governments is urgent in order to protect us from terrible health consequences and avoid irreversible loss of biodiversity,” he concludes.
