Washington, D.C. — Today, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new report highlighting the scientific evidence behind the accelerating global climate crisis and the cost of further inaction. In response, Dr. Frances Colón, senior director for International Climate at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This year alone has seen unprecedented evidence of the climate crisis, with torrential rains in the Northeast, heat waves that left hundreds dead in the Northwest, and a drought that is turning our most populated state into a tinderbox. As we approach the next U.N. Climate Summit in November, the findings of the latest IPCC report mean we must call for every country to commit to immediate, ambitious emissions reductions and aggressive collaboration that will help developing countries achieve their own just and swift transitions to carbon-free futures. The science shows that there is not a moment to waste.
Dr. Kelly Kryc, senior fellow for Climate Science and Ocean Policy at CAP, released the following statement:
The warnings have been blinking red for a long time, and this IPCC report is the latest blaring alarm. Through the efforts of an incredible number of scientists around the world, the report details the utter devastation that the climate crisis is wreaking on every environment and community on Earth. Critically, this report shows that climate catastrophes that were projected in previous IPCC reports are now actually happening, which is both chilling and underscores the need to trust the science and further invest in solutions. This crisis demands immediate climate leadership at every level, coupled with investments in science and technology from our own U.S. Congress—to start—to stave off the worst impacts.
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