The first step is immediate global action to massively reduce emissions by replacing fossil fuel energy with renewables,improving energy efficiency measures and electrifying households,industry and transport as fast as possible.
Then comes carbon removal
But because we did not act sooner,limiting emissions is now unlikely to be enough to hold warming at 1.5 or even 2 degrees.
The report canvasses a range of “negative emissions” solutions,including avoiding deforestation and supporting reforestation as well as agricultural changes to increase carbon held in soils.
But it also addresses technologies that have so far proved controversial among some activists,who fear their adoption gives industry and governments excuses not to reduce. These include some forms of carbon capture and storage and so-called direct air capture,in which carbon dioxide is sucked from the atmosphere and captured via a chemical process for long-term storage.
The role of urban design
The IPCC report notes that in 2019,of the total net anthropogenic (man made) greenhouse gas emissions,34 per cent came from the energy supply sector,24 per cent from industry,22 per cent from agriculture,forestry and other land uses,15 per cent from transport and 6 per cent from buildings.
“Having the right policies,infrastructure and technology in place to enable changes to our lifestyles and behaviour can result in a 40 to 70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This offers significant untapped potential,” said IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Priyadarshi Shukla. “The evidence also shows that these lifestyle changes can improve our health and wellbeing. ”
Distinguished Professor Xuemei Bai from the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society,said that cities generated a huge amount of greenhouse gases and had a huge role to play in lowering emissions. Australian cities in particular have some of the highest emissions per capita and are rapidly expanding.
She said among the best ways to lower emissions in cities was to ensure the rapid transition to renewables,building adequate green spaces to help act as a carbon sink and decarbonise the transport system. She suggested this could be achieved by offering incentives,such as free parking for those with electric vehicles.
“We do have a lot of potential[to reduce our emissions],” she said. “Cities have a higher responsibility. Cities are the place where innovation happens and we have the power to shape culture. It doesn’t mean the individual is responsible,it means cities and national governments need to put in structures that make those choices easier for individuals.”
Lifestyle
For the first time in the series,the report considers what impact lifestyle change could make,listing 60 actions individuals could do to reduce emissions. These include measures that have long been championed like walking or using bikes or electric cars over fuel-burning vehicles. But it also analyses the impact of reducing airline travel and even setting airconditioner and heater thermostats at slightly higher or lower temperatures and shifting towards vegetarian diets.
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