<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/08/antonio-guterres-cop29-climate-breakdown-tipping-points-fossil-fuels-finance-aoe>
"The world is still underestimating the risk of catastrophic climate breakdown
and ecosystem collapse, the UN secretary general has warned in the run-up to
Cop29, acknowledging that the rise in global heating is on course to soar past
1.5C (2.7F) over pre-industrial levels in the coming years.
Humanity is approaching potentially irreversible tipping points such as the
collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the Greenland ice sheet as global
temperatures rise, António Guterres has said, warning that governments are not
making the deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions needed to limit warming to
safe levels.
Speaking to the
Guardian, the UN secretary general said that a second US
departure from the Paris climate agreement under a new Donald Trump presidency
would risk crippling the process but said the accord would survive.
With wildfires, drought and extreme weather already ravaging parts of the
planet, new research raises concerns about the stability of natural carbon
sinks that underpin decarbonisation efforts. Forests, plants and soil – as a
net category – absorbed almost no carbon in 2023 during the hottest year on
record. While the collapse of land carbon sinks may be temporary, scientists
have warned that cracks in the resilience of the Earth’s systems are beginning
to show.
Guterres urged greater coordination on the interlinked environmental crises of
the 21st century, warning that it was impossible to take action on global
heating without action on biodiversity loss to protects forests and other
natural carbon stores and sinks.
“The risk of these tipping points accelerating climate change is something that
must be taken very seriously. Just to give two examples, some people say that
we might come to a situation where the Amazon forest will become a savanna
irreversibly, or that the Greenland [ice sheet] and west Antarctica will melt.
“Even if it happens over a huge period, it will melt irreversibly. So we are
coming close to dramatic gamechangers in relation to the impacts of climate
change in the life of the planet,” Guterres said in an interview on the
sidelines of the biodiversity Cop16 in Cali, Colombia, which concluded on 1
November.
“The world is still underestimating climate risks. I have no doubt that we are
risking reach[ing] a number of tipping points that will dramatically accelerate
the impacts of climate change. It is absolutely essential to act now. It’s
absolutely essential to reduce emissions drastically now,” he said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
