• Global surface temperature was 1.09° C higher in the decade between 2011-2020 than between 1850-1900.
• The past five years have been the hottest on record since 1850
• The recent rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared with 1901-1971
• Human influence is “very likely” (90%) the main driver of the global retreat of glaciers since the 1990s and the decrease in Arctic sea-ice
• It is “virtually certain” that hot extremes including heatwaves have become more frequent and more intense since the 1950s, while cold events have become less frequent and less severe

There are already changes that are irreversible on timescales of centuries to millennia. Under all scenarios, keeping the rise in global temperatures well below 2° C this century will not happen unless huge cuts in carbon take place.

The first instalment of the IPCC’s summary Sixth Assessment report Click here projects that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons. At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, the report shows. There will also be changes to wetness and dryness, to winds, snow and ice, coastal areas and oceans.

For the first time, there are also more detailed regional assessments of climate change, including a focus on useful information that can inform risk assessment, adaptation, and other decision-making, and a new framework that helps translate physical changes in the climate – heat, cold, rain, drought, snow, wind, coastal flooding and more – into what they mean for society and ecosystems. This regional information can be explored through an Interactive Atlas Click here as well as through regional fact sheets, the technical summary, and underlying report.

“Today’s IPCC Working Group 1 Report is a code red for humanity,” said UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.

“If we combine forces now, we can avert climate catastrophe. But, as today’s report makes clear, there is no time for delay and no room for excuses. I count on government leaders and all stakeholders to ensure COP26 is a success.”

Click here for the press release and here for the full report.