In a new scientific report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body of experts, 270 researchers from 67 countries conclude that "nations aren't doing nearly enough to protect cities, farms and coastlines from the hazards that climate change has unleashed so far, such as record droughts and rising seas, let alone from the even greater disasters in store as the planet continues to warm."
The impacts of climate change can be seen and felt throughout the world. "If temperatures keep rising," the report warns, "many parts of the world could soon face limits in how much they can adapt to a changing environment."
Scientists say that climate efforts going forward will need to be greatly accelerated to the point of being "transformational" in terms of how we build homes, grow food, protect nature and produce energy.
Global temperatures have increased to a dangerous level, and many leaders, including President Biden, have promised "to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. That's the threshold beyond which scientists say the likelihood of catastrophic climate impacts increase significantly."
The report makes clear that achieving this goal "would require nations to all but eliminate their fossil-fuel emissions by 2050, and most are far off track."