19 November 2007
 |
Following the publication of the Climate Change Bill and the release of the UN's IPCC Synthesis report on Saturday, the Met Office welcomes the Prime Minister's announcement that he plans to increase the UK target for reducing CO2 emissions.
John Hirst, Met Office Chief Executive, said: "The Prime Minister's pledge to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050 is welcome news to all of us. The Met Office has provided evidence that climate change is both unavoidable and significant. There is no doubt that we need to take steps to mitigate the established trends and also adapt to impacts that are already inevitable." Full coverage of Gordon Brown's speech can be found on the 10 Downing Street website. |
Summary of the IPCC Synthesis report
The Synthesis Report provides an integrated view of climate change based on the findings of the three IPCC Working Groups, which cover the science and evidence of climate change, impacts and adaptation, and mitigation.
Observed climate change
- 11 of the last 12 years among the 12 warmest years in the global surface temperature record since 1850
- Global temperatures have risen by 0.74 °C from 1906-2005, more than the rise of 0.6 °C (1901-2000) found in the IPCC's 2001 report
- Global average sea level has risen by 1.8 mm/yr since 1961 and 3.1 mm/yr since 1993
- Annual average Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk by 2.7% per decade since 1978, with bigger decreases in summer of 7.4% per decade
- Mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined in both hemispheres
- Recent warming has caused earlier timing of spring events, and plant and animal ranges have shifted to higher altitudes and further towards the pole
Causes of change
- Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from man’s activities have risen by 70% since 1970
- GHG concentrations now far exceed pre-industrial values spanning many thousands of years
- Most of the observed increases in globally averaged temperature since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in GHG concentrations
Future climate change
- Under current climate change policies, global GHG emissions are projected to increase by 25-90% by 2030
- For the next two decades a warming of about 0.2 °C per decade is projected
- Increases in the frequency of hot extremes, heatwaves and heavy rainfall are very likely
Impacts
- By mid-century many semi-arid areas, including the Mediterranean basin, are projected to suffer a decrease in water resources
- Increased risk of inland flash floods, and more frequent coastal flooding in Europe
- Increased water stress in Africa
- Increased flooding in parts of Asia
- More intense heatwaves in North America
- Up to 20-30% of species, assessed so far, likely to be at increased risk of extinction, if global average temperatures exceed 1.5-2.5 °C above 1980-1999 levels
Downloaded summary for policymakers (PDF, 6.4 Mb)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
