The head of the UN's climate science panel, Jim Skea, has expressed concern over the accelerating pace of climate impacts, saying scientists have been surprised by the speed of temperature rise. Skea attributed the worsening situation to inaction on climate change and highlighted the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also addressed concerns about the scientific messaging and the perception of imposed climate policies, emphasizing the importance of involving societies and people in climate change action.
'Once a government has approved a report then they necessarily have to accept ownership of it.' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman Dr R K Pachauri in an extensive interview.
The challenge of climate change puts the onus on us to demand much more than the pusillanimous actions that the world is prepared to give.
Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations said the developing countries, including India and China, are unwilling to sign up a new global climate change pact to replace the Kyoto protocol in 2012 as the rich world has failed to set a clear example on cutting carbon emissions. He said rich countrieslike the US, had failed to take the action needed to convince developing nations to sign a deal to help stabilise emissions.
With contentions over important dates like the melting of the Himalayas being disputed, the scientific studies, which contradict each other are losing credibility.
After locking horns with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the glacier melting issue, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday the research of the Indian panel on climate change would be more 'robust and solid' than the UN body's.
"An absolutely clear imperative is that developed countries walk the talk on green house gas reductions. Developing countries are playing a part in the international action on mitigation, especially through the flexibility mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol," the top Indian delegate said.
Nobel laureate Rajendra Pachauri, who is head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, on Tuesday made an impassioned appeal to over 100 heads of states and governments to act urgently to mitigate green house gas emission in order to save the planet.
The G-8 nations have failed to agree on the issue of climate change. According to G8 leaders' Declaration on world economy, climate change, development and Africa issued on Wednesday, the rich and the most industrialised nations of the world have reaffirmed the importance of the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and notably of its Fourth Assessment Report, which constitutes the most comprehensive assessment of the science.
President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from over 60 international organisations, including United Nations bodies and the India-France-led International Solar Alliance, calling the institutions 'redundant' and 'contrary' to America's interests.
Other measures being considered for 'geo-engineering' the Earth's climate include producing lighter coloured crops and using iron filings in the world's oceans, The Guardian reported, citing leaked papers from the UN science body.
India is among the most vulnerable countries. It could lose 1.7 per cent of its GDP even if the annual mean temperature rises by just a degree.
R K Pachauri, chief of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said in the effort to structure a new climate change regime by 2009, there had been no major breakthroughs since the creation of the Bali action plan, but 'all eyes are focused on the G-8 summit' of industrialised countries. The Bali action plan was adopted as a two-year process to finalise a building agreement on Climate change at a UN conference in Indonesia last year December.
Unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy, says Kerry.
With climate change impacts worsening and affecting the poor and most vulnerable, governments urgently need to scale up adaptation
Worse still, the cities ranked second, third and fourth for their poor air quality are also in India.
United States President Donald Trump reiterated the claims of having to do 'something' about Greenland, saying that if US doesn't take any action, Russia and China would spring in and that Washington, DC does not want to have them as neighbours.
'It is high time that we act instead of just talking about how and why the climate is changing.'
The experts said that climate change is not only raising temperatures and making India's heatwaves hotter, but also changing weather patterns that further drive dangerous weather extremes.
I am inclined to believe that the Venezuela adventure is not an indication of American strength, alas, but rather of American weakness, points out Rajeev Srinivasan.
The global body added that national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries are working closely with health and disaster management agencies to roll out heat health action plans.
Uttarakhand was a tragedy that none of us will forget. As experts analysed the tragedy, it became clear that the disaster was more man made. The intergovernmental panel on climate change in its Assessment Report 5 states that human influence on the climate system is clear and this is evident from the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forcing, observed warming, and understanding of the climate system.
'The food security along the coastal region will be severely affected.'
'The Paris Conference is a decisive meeting on climate change.' 'Negotiating an agreement between 196 countries is indeed a challenge.' 'If we go beyond 2°C, the consequences will be extremely difficult to deal with.'The poor are the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change.'
It would be a tragedy if unchecked global warming destroys our habitat.
Former The Energy and Resources Institute chief R K Pachauri, who is facing sexual harassment charges, has resigned from the prestigious Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, which has been accepted.
The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report highlights gaps worldwide in finance, technology, and knowledge.
The advisory body had not met for the past three years.
The Accord was finalised at a meeting between the heads of India, China, South Africa, Brazil and the US in Copenhagen last Friday.
Buffeted by allegations of sexual harassment, R K Pachauri on Tuesday quit as chairman of United Nation's prestigious Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose meeting here he has avoided.
Pachauri was admitted to Escorts Heart Institute in the national capital where he underwent open heart surgery and was put on life support on Tuesday, sources said.
A day after quitting as Chairman of UN's prestigious Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, TERI Director General R K Pachauri has been admitted to a city-based hospital.
With all the criticism over the mistake, the IPCC has decided to bring in editors and coordinating lead authors for its fifth assessment report.
'Our self interest lies in ensuring that this planet is in good health,' says Dr Rajendra K Pachauri, IPCC Chairman.
'There will be morbidity, there will be mortality. Other health conditions are going to get much worse,' says IPCC Chairman Dr R K Pachauri.
'We know our glaciers are melting very rapidly.' Dr R K Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, outlines the implications for India.
The 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change erroneously claimed that the Himalayan glaciers would melt away by 2035.
What are you doing to protect environment?
With global focus on developing methods to mitigate climate change, Nobel Laureate and Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change R K Pachauri on Thursday said that the Centre needs to invest more in the university system of the country on research regarding alternative energy technologies.
Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh has predicted that the issue of climate change is likely to figure on the agenda when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Washington, DC on November 24, on a State Visit. "The whole area of green technologies is an area in which Indian business, instead of being passive recipients of technology from the world, can in fact emerge as active suppliers of technology to the rest of the world," he said.
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