In just over 25 years, three billion people will probably already be living in regions of the world that are classified as vulnerable hotspots of global warming. This would be about twice as many as now, scientists reported on Thursday at the world climate conference in Egypt. The regions are mainly in Central America, the Middle East, parts of Asia as well as in Central Africa, East Africa and the Sahel region.
In the most vulnerable states, the mortality rate is about 15 times higher than in the regions least affected by global warming – for example due to more frequent floods, droughts and storms, it said.
All this also leads to more forced migration, millions of people would be driven out of their homes in the years and decades to come because of global warming. Dozens of scientists contributed to the report “Ten new insights in climate science 2022”, including from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell called the results “alarming”. Adaptation to the climate crisis is possible for humans, but not unlimited. An ambitious reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that are heating up the planet is therefore still urgently needed. Due to unavoidable catastrophes as a result of increasing weather extremes, however, compensation is also indicated, called “loss and damage” in UN jargon. “Now is the time for that,” he said.
The director of the Potsdam Institute, Johan Rockström, spoke of “frustration” among scientists in view of the sluggish fight against the climate crisis. Closer networking with politics is necessary.
However, he does not see the market economy as a fundamental obstacle. However, it is necessary to price in the damage caused by greenhouse gases, i.e. above all carbon dioxide and methane. An appropriate CO2 price could provide strong impetus for a climate-friendly restructuring of the economic system.
