IPCC report ‘unequivocal’ on human-driven climate emergency

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international group of climate scientists, has today published its report on the ‘physical science basis’ for its current assessment of climate change.

The report found that there was “unequivocal” evidence of “human influence” on the warming of our “atmosphere, ocean and land.” It also stated that “widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.”

IEMA declared a climate emergency all the way back in 2019. Our declaration is rooted in the reality of the international science base as reaffirmed by this IPCC report.

While the report acts as a reminder of the dire situation we find ourselves in, it also provides some glimmers of hope if action can be taken quickly to put global economic activity on a more sustainable footing. At IEMA, we know that our members can make a pivotal contribution towards the rapid transitions that are required to do this.

The report’s references to already locked in changes to the climate system, highlight the need for the UK and international community to address both mitigation and adaptation to climate change. IEMA members are often on the frontline of efforts to mitigate climate-related risks and to improve overall climate resilience.

Since declaring a climate emergency, IEMA have developed a range of resources and recommendations that we believe, if utilised, will enable the UK to both meet its 2050 net-zero emissions target and drive further action to close the gap between high-level ambitions and meeting the challenges set out by these climate science reports.

These include our greenhouse gas management hierarchy that helps organisations to more effectively manage their emissions, alongside research that we have undertaken about the need for a Green Skills and Job Strategy to create more green jobs across the entire economy.