A special report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC), published today, has called for industry action to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The report found that achieving this limit would require "rapid and far-reaching" transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching 'net zero' around 2050.
With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable society and make it easier to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the IPCC.
Responding to the report’s publication, Nathan Baker, ICE Director of Engineering Knowledge, said: “The IPCC’s report sets out in stark detail the consequences we face if we do not take action on climate change.
"The world will see even more extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and the loss of ecosystems, with knock-on effects for global inequality. The report’s findings confirm the need for co-ordinated global action, which is the aim of the Global Engineering Congress in October 2018.
“Engineers are at the forefront of the fight against global warming, providing practical solutions for clean energy and sustainable cities. The infrastructure decisions we make over the next few years will decide whether we meet emissions targets for decades to come.
"ICE is bringing together the global engineering community in an unprecedented effort to tackle this issue and build a route-map towards meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”