Life on Earth ‘under siege’ as climate change pushes planet into ‘uncharted territory’

The study records that 20 of the 35 “vital signs” of the planet, used by scientists to track climate change, are at record extremes. New data illustrates that many climate-related records were broken by “enormous margins.” Particularly those related to ocean temperature and sea ice.

The report pounces on fossil fuel subsidies, emphasising how actions by certain governments are artificially lowering the cost of energy production. In essence, raising the price received by producers or lowering the price paid by consumers. The report calculates that fossil fuel subsidies doubled from $531 billion in 2021 to just over $1 trillion in 2022.

2023 still has two months left, but there have already been 38 days with global average temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. That was rare until this year. Equally worrying is the fact that the highest average surface temperature of the planet was recorded in July this year.

“As scientists, we are hugely troubled by the sudden increases in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters. The frequency and severity of those disasters might be outpacing rising temperatures. By the end of the 21st century, many regions may have severe heat, limited food availability and elevated mortality rates,” said Christopher Wolf, co-author of the paper, in a press statement.

The authors write about taking aim at the underlying issue of “ecological overshoot.” When humanity’s demand for Earth’s resources is too large, it results in an array of environmental crises, including biodiversity decline. Any strategy that focuses only on carbon emissions or the climate will just “redistribute the pressure,” they note.

They also emphasise that climate-related actions should be grounded in equity and social justice, pointing out how climate impacts are disproportionately felt the most by the poorest people, who contributed the least to climate change.