UN report: Without urgent climate action, ‘livable future’ at risk

Humanity is perilously close to missing its chance to secure a “livable” future, UN experts conclude in a landmark report on the impacts of climate change published today.

“The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: Climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and planetary health,” says the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its crucial Summary for Policymakers, distilling thousands of pages of scientific research.

Any further delay in global action to cut carbon pollution and prepare for impacts already in the pipeline “will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”

Between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people “are highly vulnerable to climate change,” the report says, adding that the risk of impacts — deadly heatwaves, droughts, megastorms — is amplified by inequalities, as well as unsustainable use of land and sea.