The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released a report detailing what we can expect if global warming brings our climate to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Here is what the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance has to say.
Human activities have already raised the global climate by 1°C, and it is likely that we will reach 1.5°C as soon as 2030. This degree of climate change will have massive impacts across the world: from increasing the severity and frequency of extreme weather events to reducing food security.
So what can we do?
Floods effect more people than any other type of disaster, and floods are made more likely and severe as global temperatures rise. So it’s not surprising that experts in the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance have been anxiously awaiting this IPCC report. These are their first thoughts and reflections upon reading the report.
Colin McQuistan, Practical Action, suggests that linking our actions on the Sustainable Development Goals with actions to reduce climate change could help us work together better. Read his blog.
Michael Szoenyi, Zurich Insurance, talks about the role of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance and offers additional insight into the climate change data. Read his LinkedIn post.
Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO Mercy Corps, calls for better risk information, financing and planning and a move to renewable forms of energy. Read his statement.
Reinhard Mechler, from IIASA and one of the lead authors on the IPCC special report, outlines his reflections, asking what it would take to create transformation, and if this report could be the game-changer we need. Read his blog. You can also read Reinhard’s full reflections here.
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