Climate change threatening well-being of planet - report

The damaging impacts of climate change and hazardous weather are reversing development gains and threatening the well-being of people and the planet, a new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned.

The United in Science report has said the record levels of greenhouse gas now in the atmosphere will fuel global temperature increases into the future and that under current policies, there is a two thirds likelihood of global warming of 3C this century.

However, the report stressed that there were significant grounds for hope because artificial intelligence, computer learning and other technological advances are enhancing human understanding of the Earth system.

Advances in natural and social sciences, new technologies and innovation could be game changers for climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, it said.

WMO Secretary-General Celest Saulo has called for urgent and ambitious action to reduce the risk of climate disasters and support sustainable development.

"The decisions we make today could be the difference between a future breakdown or a breakthrough to a better world," she said.

The report highlighted how artificial intelligence and machine learning have emerged as potentially transformative technologies that are revolutionising weather forecasting and can make it faster, cheaper and more accessible.

Cutting-edge satellite technologies and virtual realities that bridge the physical and digital worlds are also opening new frontiers in land management, water management and many other areas.

Incredible advancements in recent decades in space-based Earth observations also offer vast opportunities for the future, according to the report.

High-resolution and high-frequency observations of the Earth system are crucial for effective weather forecasting, climate prediction and environmental monitoring.

By leveraging public-private partnerships, innovations in space-based Earth observations can be used to enhance weather, climate, water and related environmental applications.

Human-caused climate change has resulted in widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.

2023 breaks weather records

When the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted by the nations of the world, it was projected that greenhouse gas emissions would grow by 16% in the 15 years between 2015 and 2030.

The report has said that increase is now more likely to be just 3%, indicating that progress has been made.

Yet the emissions gap for 2030 remains very high.

Emissions would have to be cut by 28% by 2030 if global warming this century is to be kept below 2C, the report said.

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A much bigger reduction, of 42% before 2030, would be needed to limit the increase in temperature to 1.5C.

Extreme weather events

2023 was the warmest year on record by a large margin, with widespread extreme weather.

This trend has continued in the first half of this year as evidenced by numerous extreme weather events.

Heat waves scorched large parts of Asia in April and May, with a maximum temperature of 47.2C recorded in India on 30 April.

Schools were closed and the heat was particularly difficult for people living in refugee camps and informal housing, as well as for outdoor workers.

In Brazil, the state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced the most severe floods in its recorded history, with over 420mm of rainfall affecting over 90% of the state and displacing 386,000 people.

Hundreds of thousands were left without electricity and water, disproportionately affecting informal settlements and Indigenous villages.

In Africa, World Weather Attribution found that the naturally occurring El Niño warming event was a key driver of drought in vulnerable Southern African countries in early 2024.

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana received less than 20% of the typical rainfall expected for February, with devastating impacts to local communities.

In the Caribbean, the Atlantic hurricane season began with the unprecedented early-season Category 5 Hurricane Beryl, which rapidly intensified and became the strongest June hurricane on record.

The storm brought catastrophic winds and storm surge to the southern Windward Islands, setting a foreboding tone for the remainder of the hurricane season, which is predicted to be more active than usual.