The latest Special Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is alarming. At issue is whether humanity can achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to the beginning of the industrial era. The 1.5 degree mark was set to prevent dangerous tipping points in the climate system with unpredictable consequences. The climate report shows that the world is on course to miss the targets. The current commitments of countries which have signed up to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change indicate that the planet is on track for three to four degrees of warming.
Will the climate summit provide the right answers?
At the UN climate summit in Poland, the international community now wants to adopt a set of rules governing the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. Among other things, the rules define uniform requirements for national reduction targets applicable to all countries and the offsetting of emission reductions achieved abroad. The climate report published by the IPCC researchers has already made clear that this is not enough. Farreaching and ambitious commitments for the rapid reduction of CO2 are urgently needed. Moreover, the countries most impacted urgently need support to adapt to the consequences of the climate crisis, which threaten the livelihoods of millions of people.
Caritas's assessment of what needs to be done
Caritas considers that Switzerland should take decisive action in matters of climate policy:
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