BANGKOK: Allowing global temperatures to increase by two degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels would have catastrophic consequences for the world’s cryosphere, including ice sheets, glaciers, polar seas, and permafrost, warns a report from the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.
The assessment urges upcoming climate talks to commit to keeping warming below 1.5°C, emphasising that it’s not just preferable but the only viable option.
Recent research indicates that only dramatic emissions reductions can prevent irreversible consequences, such as extensive sea-level rise and major ice loss at 2°C warming.
The report highlights the potential impact on sea ice, predicting the Arctic Ocean could become ice-free every summer.
This would lead to increased heat absorption, accelerating the thawing of permafrost and the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, raising sea levels.
Thawing permafrost releases carbon dioxide and methane, emissions irreversibly set in motion at 2°C warming, persisting for one-to-two centuries, the report warns.
Earth’s polar seas would experience corrosive ocean acidification conditions, endangering marine life crucial to various food chains.
The report’s findings align with recent UN warnings that the world is falling short of addressing the climate crisis, with current national climate plans putting 2030 carbon emissions only two percent below 2019 levels, far from the 43 per cent reduction needed to keep the 1.5°C target within reach.
The authors emphasise that evidence of climate change’s impact on the cryosphere is already evident, citing recent events like the glacial lake burst in India and record-low sea ice levels around Antarctica. They stress that the continued rise in carbon dioxide is unacceptable, highlighting the need for meaningful actions. – AFP
