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UN climate report: Plan to 'super-charge efforts' to stop climate change
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There are ways to reverse the worst effects of climate change if the world acts quickly, a new major report by scientists says.
Scientists from all over the world took part in the United Nations (UN), report which calls for countries to "super-charge efforts" to limit Global Warming.
It says that it's likely Earth will warm by over 1.5C - a temperature governments agreed to try not to go over.
But it also says there are lots of new eco-friendly technologies which could help slow down or reverse rising temperatures.
What does the 2023 UN Climate Report Say?
The latest report by top scientists in the UN says governments need to move forward their plans to cut emissions by ten years.
The boss of the UN says "immediately hitting the fast-forward button on their net zero deadlines" is the only way countries can help prevent issues caused by climate change.
But scientists say there are lots of new technologies which can help the world achieve this.
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Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power have become much better in the last few years, and they're much cheaper than they used to be, they say.
They also point to technology like carbon capture which can suck up carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the air .
However, other scientist has expressed warnings about relying on those sorts of technologies because they're so new, aren't fully developed and may not work on the scale that is needed.
What could happen if we don't stop climate change?
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Scientists don't want the Earth's temperature to rise above 1.5C hotter than it was in the 1800s, but what happens if it does?
First, it's important not to panic, or lose hope.
One scientist, Dr Friederike Otto, who helped write the new report says: "If we aim for 1.5C and achieve 1.6C, that is still much much better than saying, it's too late, and we are doomed and I'm not even trying."
But the more the global temperature rises by the more likely it is that animals are exposed to temperatures too high for them to survive in.
The report also says that by 2100 floods which used to be so rare they happened once every hundred years could happen every year in some places.
What can we do to help?
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Although climate change is a huge issue, and it needs countries and big companies to make changes, the UN suggests these ways you can help:
- Save energy at home. Simple actions like turning devices or lights off when you're not using them can save energy.
- Drive Less. Walk, cycle or take public transport to school if you can. It'll also keep you fit!
- Eat more vegetables and less meat. Vegetables don't have to be boring and gross, they can be full of flavours and spices! Even eating more local meats can reduce the amount of carbon produced.
- Cut food waste. Every time you throw food away you waste the energy gone into growing it, transporting it and cooking it! So don't buy too much food and you could compost any spare.
- Recycle. That's not just plastic bottles, but so much can be reused, repaired or reduced. Check out more recycling tips here for Global Recycling Day.
- Speak up. You may be too young to decide on lots of things, but your voice is important. A girl called Who is Greta Thunberg? got the whole world talking about climate change because she started a protest. If you want something done, make your voice heard.