⇒ The Sixth Assessment Report “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis” has been released on 09 August 2021 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Several Indian Scientists have participated in the preparation of this report.
The Union Environment Minister, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that the report is a clarion call for the developed countries to undertake immediate, deep emission cuts and decarbonisation of their economies.
Highlights of the Report:
Developed Countries have usurped far more than their fair share of the global carbon budget. Reaching net zero alone is not enough, as it is the cumulative emissions up to net zero that determine the temperature that is reached. This has been amply borne out in the IPCC report.
It vindicates India’s position that historical cumulative emissions are the source of the climate crisis that the World faces today.
The report notes that the Carbon dioxide has been and will continue to be the dominant cause of global warming under all greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.
The report brings out that the monsoon rainfall is expected to intensify in all ranges of the projected scenarios. Intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall events are projected to be on the rise.
India notes that:
- Climate change is impacting the South Asian Monsoons.
- Rising temperature will lead to increased frequency and intensity of extreme events including heat waves and heavy rainfall.
- GHG warming is assessed to be partially offset by aerosol cooling by almost 30%.
India’s cumulative and per capita current emissions are significantly low and far less than its fair share of global carbon budget.