The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have published the IPCC Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report, which brings together the findings of the three previous AR6 volumes on the Physical Science, Mitigation and Adaptation published over the last couple of years.
The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. They provide regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. They have, this week, published their Sixth Assessment Report which summarises the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The report re-emphasises the need for immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep warming to 1.5°C and adapt to human-caused climate change which threatens societies and human wellbeing, including here in the West Midlands. But, scientists have revealed that cutting emissions to half of 1990 levels by 2030 are the scale of what is required for compliance with the aim of 1.5°C and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. But even this level of cut only yields around a 50 per cent chance of staying at or below the 1.5°C target and underlines the need we have to adapt to the changes we are expecting to see.
SWM, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, continues to recognise and respond to this through its work on the West Midlands Climate Change Adaptation Programme, which in 2021 saw the publication of an Adaptation Plan for the region, and last year saw the release of several resources to help businesses and local authorities become more resilient to climate change.
This is also a perfect time to sign up to the West Midlands Net Zero Business Pledge.
