How To Tackle the Climate Crisis, According to the Latest IPCC Report
TL;DR: The world can avoid worst-case climate scenarios if we start implementing these strategies now and urgently.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the Working Group III contribution to its 6th report, detailing where the world stands in terms of the climate crisis and what can still be done to mitigate it. The report details how many sectors can lower emissions, as well as the opportunities available to us now and in the future.
Some of the report revolves around innovative technology like lab-grown meat, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) tech, and bioclimatic buildings that use local climates to naturally heat and cool. Other strategies include more traditional approaches and ideas. These include ways that land can be used to both store carbon and provide for humans, using money and the financial sector to get people’s attention, and lowering non-carbon dioxide emissions like methane.
- “Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is a necessary element to achieve net zero CO2 and GHG emissions both globally and nationally, counterbalancing residual emissions from hard-to transition sectors. It is a key element in scenarios likely to limit warming to 2°C or lower by 2100.”
- “Emerging food technologies such as cellular fermentation, cultured meat, plant-based alternatives to animal-based food products, and controlled environment agriculture, can bring substantial reduction in direct GHG emissions from food production.”
- “Sufficiency measures such as bioclimatic design of buildings, which consider the expected future climate, and includes natural ventilation, white walls and nature-based solutions (i.e., green roofs) will decrease the demand for cooling [of buildings].”
- “Land-based mitigation measures represent some of the most important options currently available. They can both deliver carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and substitute for fossil fuels, thereby enabling emissions reductions in other sectors.”
- “Rapid reductions in non-CO2 GHGs, particularly methane, would lower the level of peak warming.”
- “In order to reach net zero CO2 emissions for the carbon needed in society (e.g., plastics, wood, aviation fuels, solvents, etc.), it is important to close the use loops for carbon and carbon dioxide through… recycling, more efficient use of biomass feedstock ... and potentially direct air capture of CO2 as a new carbon source.”
- “Investors, central banks, and financial regulators are driving increased awareness of climate risk. This increased awareness can support climate policy development and implementation.”