Climate Change Impacts ‘Grave, Irreversible’; 3.6 Billion People ‘Highly Vulnerable’: UN | Top Points

Without urgent action on climate, 'liveable future' at risk: UN

New Delhi/Paris: Climate change impacts are already grave, wide-ranging and in some cases “irreversible”, reported news agency AFP quoting the UN experts on Monday. Even a temporary increase in warming to 1.5 degree Celsius could wreak permanent damage on some ecosystems, they added.

The toll on natural and human systems is “increasingly severe, interconnected and often irreversible”, they said, adding that the “extent and magnitude” of some impacts is larger than previously thought.

Any temperature increase over 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels will widen the scope of irreversible impacts to polar, mountain and coastal ecosystems, as well as areas affected by ice sheet and glacier melt, or accelerating sea level rise.

Here are the top 5 points from UN’s address on the issue on Monday:

• Up to 3.6 billion people ‘highly vulnerable’ to climate change: UN
• More than 1 billion people in flood-prone coastal zones by 2050: UN
• Some climate impacts ‘irreversible’, threat grows above 1.5C: UN
• Up to 14% of land species risk extinction at 1.5C warming: UN
• Without urgent action on climate, ‘liveable future’ at risk: UN

World powers have shown ‘criminal’ lack of climate leadership: UN chief

UN chief Antonio Guterres blasted world powers for a “criminal” abdication of leadership after the release of an extensive new report on climate change impacts, accusing major polluters of fuelling devastating warming that threatens people and planet

Report released under shadow of Russia-Ukraine war

The IPCC report was released under the shadow of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the UN chief said current events underscore the vulnerability of the global economy and energy security to “geopolitical shocks and crises” and the urgent need to turn to renewable power.

New York, Dhaka, Rotterdam at risk of coastal floods

A new UN report said the number of people living in low-lying coastal regions could increase to above one billion by 2050 and these areas are under persistent threat of flooding due to rising temperatures and melting glaciers.

(With AFP inputs)