“The Cop28 agreement, while signalling the need to bring about
the end of the fossil fuel era, falls short by failing to commit to a
full fossil fuel phase out. If 1.5C is our ‘north star’, and science our compass, we must swiftly phase
out all fossil fuels to chart a course towards a
liveable future. World leaders must continue to urgently pull together and
find ways forward to tackle this existential threat. Every day of delay condemns millions to an uninhabitable world.”
A strong climate science community
Strong of nearly 70 years of engagement in climate science,
the International Science Council approached COP with the aim to advance
the interface between science and policy in support for evidence-based climate action, providing scientific
expertise to policymakers to ensure science is at the forefront of the conference negotiations.
“There was a palpable sense of urgency and determination
throughout COP28 regarding the imperative for swift implementation of emission reduction
to curb global warming. While the final statement may not have fully embraced this urgency,
I see it as a delay rather than a dismissal of what
fundamentally needs to occur – and will inevitable occur.”
Prof. Detlef Stammer,
Co-Chair of the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme and ISC Fellow.
The ISC started by organizing a virtual “Knowledge Sharing Dialogue” on December 4, bringing together experts from its Affiliated Bodies – the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), Future Earth, the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) – to share the latest developments in climate science, present their flagship activities, and email data discuss the opportunities for further collaborative engagement in climate action. The event demonstrated the incredible scientific work undertaken by these bodies and highlighted the need for strengthened collaboration and increased engagement of the ISC membership in their activities.
To provide policymakers
with the latest climate google ai for schools youtube shorts series science, two ISC Affiliated Bodies, Future Earth and the WCRP, in collaboration with the Earth League, have compiled 10 critical insights from recent climate research. The insights for 2023-2024 are clear: we are inevitably on track to surpass the Paris consumer data Agreement’s 1.5°C global warming target. Minimizing this overshot is crucial for reducing global risks, and achieving it requires a rapid and managed phaseout of fossil fuels.
Ten New Insights in Climate Science
Every year, Future Earth, the Earth League, and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) convene leading global scholars to review the most critical findings in climate research. Through a rigorous scientific process, these findings are summarized into 10 insights, offering valuable guidance for policymakers and society.
Future Earth’s Global Carbon Project launched the 2023 Global Carbon Budget demonstrating that global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have risen again in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022 – reaching record levels 36.8 billion tones in 2023.
The Global Climate Observing System
(GCOS) presented the latest updates on the state of the global climate system and developments in systematic observation during the COP Earth Information Day. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) presented the long-term consequences of sea-level rise and mountain freshwater losses above 1.5°C.
In an effort to incorporate perspectives from the social sciences into the global climate debate, the ISC and the Royal Society organized a side event titled “Better Understanding Economic Impacts of Climate Change and Accelerating Science-Based Climate Action” on December 6th. The event explored the utilization of economic analysis in informing decision-making on climate policy and accelerating climate action based on scientific evidence.
Building upon these issues,
The ISC released an article spotlighting the crucial role of economists and social
scientists in providing insights and
guidance to policymakers and stakeholders, particularly in overcoming
social and economic barriers that hinder effective climate change mitigation and
adaptation efforts. By bridging the gap between
scientific evidence and social and economic realities, economists and social scientists
can provide valuable insights and guidance to policymakers,
helping to accelerate progress towards a sustainable future.