Climate Change No Longer A Future Threat It Is A Present Reality!

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) A stark reminder of the accelerating global climate crisis is probably best seen on 2024 being the hottest year on record.

The fact that the 10 hottest years ever recorded all occurred within the last decade also shows us that this is not just a natural fluctuation - it is a clear trend driven by human activity.

The United Nations (UN) urged countries last week to set more ambitious climate plans during this month, seeking to pressure major economies including the EU and China ahead of this year's United Nations climate summit.

The United Nations had asked countries to submit their plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, within September so that their efforts can be assessed before the COP30 summit in November in Brazil.

Most countries have yet to do so despite agreeing to submit them this year under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The updated NDCs should describe how each country plans to cut emissions by 2035.

In a letter to nearly 200 countries, United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell described the NDCs as“the cornerstone of humanity's fight against the global climate crisis.”

“These national climate plans... are among this century's most powerful engines of economic growth and rising living standards,” said the letter, which the United Nations published.

China, which is described as the world's biggest polluter, has said only that it will upgrade its target in the autumn.

The European Union (EU) is struggling to agree on its plan, and this month countries including France and Poland called for a delay in approving the bloc's proposed 2040 goal, which would have informed the 2035 target.

The United Nations' assessment will help indicate whether countries are on track to hold global warming to safe levels or if they need to step up their plans.

How governments respond will serve as a test of their climate commitment at a time when the United States - the world's biggest economy and biggest polluter historically - pulls away from the effort. Among the other major polluters is India.

Last year was the world's hottest year on record, and the 10 hottest years on record all happened in the last 10 years. Climate change is worsening extreme weather across continents - from torrential storms, to wildfires and heatwaves.

Environment scientists say rising greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activity, are trapping heat in the atmosphere.

This has led to record-breaking global surface temperatures, shrinking Arctic sea ice, retreating glaciers, and rising sea levels.

They say the consequences are visible everywhere. More frequent and severe heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and droughts are causing humanitarian crises and billions in economic losses.

Ecosystems are under extreme stress - coral reefs bleaching, biodiversity loss, and disrupted food chains. Human health is increasingly threatened, with heat-related illnesses, spread of vector-borne diseases, and food insecurity. Last year many regions saw extreme weather events that were once considered“once-in-a-century”.

Agricultural yields were disrupted, affecting global food supply. This clearly means the urgency for climate adaptation became just as important as mitigation.

Although investments in renewable energy hit record highs, and some countries are moving faster toward net-zero commitments, global emissions remain stubbornly high, and current pledges are not sufficient to limit warming to 1.5C.

“The world is responding, albeit unevenly,” the UN says.

Clearly, there is a growing call for climate justice - recognising that the countries most affected are often the least responsible for emissions.

Experts believe rapid scaling of clean energy, sustainable finance, and climate-resilient infrastructure will address global climate crisis to a large extent.

Undoubtedly, 2024 confirmed what scientists have long warned - climate change is no longer a future threat, it is a present reality.
The world now faces a narrow but still open window to act decisively and prevent catastrophic warming.

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