The current devastating conflict in Ukraine has understandably distracted media and political attention from climate change and related issues. With attention focused on the war, the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published last month, received less attention than it would normally, but for those who did find time to catch up on the findings from this authoritative study, the news was grim.
The report concluded that climate change has already caused “substantial damages and [...] irreversible losses” to ecosystems and that more frequent extreme weather and climate events have exposed millions to acute food insecurity and reduced water security. Looking ahead, it warned that half to three quarters of the global population could be exposed to “life-threatening climatic conditions” due to extreme heat and humidity by 2100.
