We have two years to save the planet, warns the UN

The World Meteorological Organization issued a Red Alert last month in the face of the unprecedented advance of climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions, ocean surface temperatures, sea level rise and melting ice in Antarctica all broke records last year. The agency warned that the global economy could suffer a historic decline in the immediate future. The total cost of not acting to combat climate change could rise to $1.266 trillion between 2025 and 2100.

Simon Stiell, executive secretary of UN Climate Change, warns that “the next two years are essential to save our planet.” They have urgently called on governments, financial leaders and environmental bodies to develop stronger climate strategies to contain the advance of the climate crisis.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization confirmed that July reported the highest global average temperature since records began. To contain the effects of climate change, it is necessary to keep global warming below 2 and 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial records. The international entity estimates that “in the most optimistic scenario, the probability of stopping warming at 1.5°C is only 14%.” In 2022, the amount of greenhouse gas released solely by the burning of fossil fuels was 36.8 gigatons. Never in the history of humanity has such an amount of carbon dioxide been seen.

The electoral processes that will take place this year are a unique opportunity to endorse and accelerate compliance with environmental commitments. Society as a whole is obliged to become more actively involved in the search for solutions, according to Stiell. “The only sure way to make climate a priority is for enough people to speak up.”

To those who claim that climate change is just one of many priorities, such as ending poverty, eradicating hunger, ending pandemics or improving education, I say that simply none of these crucial tasks will be possible unless we control the climate crisis,” he concluded.