CLIMATE TARGET – ENVIRONMENT
What is in the news?
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The World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) released two reports titled “Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2023-2027” and “State of Global
Climate 2022.”
Key takeaways from the news:
1. Decadal prediction:
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The decadal predictions
of the WMO said that the annual mean global surface temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be 1.1-1.8 degree
Celsius higher than the baseline temperature of 1850-1900 or pre-industrial
levels.
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In 2022, it was 1.15 degrees above the
baseline, and by 2027, the average will exceed 1.5 degrees, a critical point
beyond which there may be no return.
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It was estimated that
anthropogenic activities would have already caused 1 degree of warming, likely
to reach 1.5 degree between 2030 and 2052 at the current rate.
|
Paris Climate Target: ● The
1.5degree Celsius target is the global climate target that aims to limit
warming to said level by 2100, in order to prevent the planet from slipping
into further climate crises. ● In 2010,
at the Cancun COP16, countries agreed to limit the global average warming to
below 2degree Celsius. ● In 2015,
the parties to the Paris Agreement pledged to limit the average temperature
rise to below 2degree, while actively aiming for 1.5 degree above
pre-industrial levels. ● This was endorsed as a global target by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2018 and since then has been pursued in all
climate dialogues. |
Impacts:
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Frequent and intense heat
waves, droughts, heavy precipitation, an additional 10-centimeter rise in sea
level, destruction of ecosystems and mostly irreversible changes can be
witnessed at the 2degree level.
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Increased Precipitation
anomalies and an increase in marine heat waves as compared to marine cold
spells.
○ The heatwaves in Pakistan
and India in 2022 also resulted in a decline in crop yields.
2. Frequent El Nino events:
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El Nino will be stronger
year by year, and will lead to more climate disasters.
○ Eg.The
floods in Pakistan affected croplands in southern and central parts of the
country and displaced eight million people within the country.
3. Shrinking of Cryosphere:
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The cryosphere is
shrinking, and there is a mass loss of glaciers in High-mountain Asia, Western
North America, and South America.
4. Global warming in Greenland:
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Due to the alarming rate
of warming of the Arctic Ocean, the Greenland
ice sheet is melting at a faster pace, contributing to the increase in sea
level.
5. Increasing Climate hazards:
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Climate risks and hazards
impact human population and the
ecosystem depending on exposure, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity.
6. Reduced crop yield:
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Climate change has been
affecting crop yield negatively and the risks posed by agricultural pests and diseases have also increased in the past few
years.
7. Malnutrition problem:
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Countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia,
Yemen, and Afghanistan are facing acute food shortages resulting in
malnutrition and hunger.
8. Food insecurity:
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Food insecurity in the
low developed countries is due to the
complex interaction of climate conditions with other factors such as droughts, cyclones, and political and
economic instability.
9. Mass displacement:
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Such shortage of food has
also led to mass displacement within and across borders. In Syria and Yemen,
thousands have been displaced owing to the floods, storms, and heavy snowfall.
10.Un-uniform consequences:
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The Horn of Africa
(Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya) has been witnessing extreme drought conditions
since 2020, while at the same time, western African countries are seeing floods
and heavy rainfall which has pushed millions into acute food insecurity.
11.Threat on Biodiversity:
●
Aquatic and terrestrial
ecosystems have also not been immune to such changes in climate patterns.
○ The population of
migratory species has declined in Sub-Saharan Africa.
12. Coral bleaching:
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The warming above 1.5
degree Celsius can prove lethal for coral reefs which are already prone to
bleaching.
13. Economic losses:
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WMO reports that the
extreme weather anomalies have caused the deaths of two million people and
incurred $4.3 trillion in economic
damages over the past fifty years.
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In
2020-2021, 22,608 disaster deaths were recorded globally.
14. Un Uniform Global warming:
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Warming greater than the
global average is being experienced in the Arctic, with the term ‘polar amplification’ gaining more
traction.
Issues in India:
1. Unusual Monsoon pattern:
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Indian monsoons were
wetter than usual last year after recording extreme heat during the pre-monsoon
period, resulting in wildfires in Uttarakhand and acute food shortages.
○ February
2023 was recorded as the hottest month since record-keeping began in 1901.
○ In
2022, India witnessed extreme weather events
for 80% of the days.
2. Conflict over development priorities:
●
Being an emerging economy
with development needs, it is attempting to balance its development needs with
ongoing climate action both at the domestic and international levels.
Issues in achieving the 2degree Celsius target:
1. Compromise of development:
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The 2degree target was unacceptable to small island countries as
it implied that their survival was compromised.
2. Little progress of developing countries:
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The Climate Performance
Index over the years has shown that Countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia
rank low in climate performance.
3. Oil crisis due to Ukraine conflict:
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The Ukraine conflict has
further added to woes and sparked an energy crisis threatening climate goals.
4. Unsustainable recovery from COVID 19:
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The pandemic pushed the
world into a socio-economic crisis and on the road to recovery, in most cases
there is little to no consideration for building-back in a sustainable manner.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Development assistance:
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Developed countries
should assist financially least developed and small island countries.
2. Mainstreaming Climate targets:
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All the countries should
align their climate targets with National developmental priorities.
3. Technology cooperation:
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Developed countries must
transfer required technologies to the least developed countries to phase out
fossil fuel usage.
4. Strengthening Global bodies:
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Forums such as the International Solar Alliance and UNFCCC
should be strengthened to make them more efficient.
5. Periodical monitoring:
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Individual Country's
progress in achieving climate targets should be monitored periodically by the
global monitor network.