IPCC report brings together the global picture on climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its Synthesis Report, which brings together the best scientific knowledge on climate change.
The IPCC’s Synthesis Report of its Sixth Assessment (AR6) draws on the current global science on climate change and explains how the changing climate impacts the world we live in, now and in the future, as well as addressing options for reducing emissions.
The report, written by an international team of experts and approved by governments, was released on March 20 (2am March 21, NZ time).
It says the world has made progress on climate change, but warns that the action promised globally between now and 2030 in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs - each country’s commitments on climate change, including targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century, and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C.
The report says there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future, and makes clear that the choices we make in this decade matter.
It says that human-induced climate change is already having an impact across the world, and vulnerable communities who have historically contributed the least to current climate change are being disproportionately affected.
But the report also says that deep and sustained emissions reductions will make a difference, and that feasible, effective, and low-cost options to do this, as well as to adapt to climate change, already exist.
Aotearoa New Zealand is already seeing the impacts of climate change. The extreme rainfall that New Zealand saw in January, and Cyclone Gabrielle in February, brought devastating losses of lives, homes and critical infrastructure. These events have reinforced once again how urgent it is that we both reduce our emissions, and make sure we are adapting to our changing climate.
Aotearoa New Zealand is playing its part internationally through its nationally determined contribution (NDC), which, following advice from the Climate Change Commission, was increased in 2021 in order to align it with the global effort to limit global warming to 1.5˚C above pre-industrial levels. Our target is a 50 per cent reduction of net emissions below our gross 2005 level by 2030.
We are also currently implementing our first emissions reduction plan, which will help us to make substantial changes across our economy to meet our domestic emissions reduction targets. Meanwhile, our national adaptation plan is helping to build a more climate-resilient New Zealand.