The IPCC Report underscores the need for urgent action to limit global heating
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the urgent need for ambitious climate action to secure a sustainable future for all. The report states that the current pace and scale of climate action plans are insufficient to tackle climate change, and we need to take immediate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
According to the report, global warming of 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels due to the burning of fossil fuels, unequal and unsustainable energy, and land use has resulted in more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Climate-driven food and water insecurity is expected to increase with increased warming, and those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected. Climate justice is crucial, and it requires accelerated action to adapt to climate change to close the gap between existing adaptation and what is needed.
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius calls for the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, cancellation of scheduled fossil fuel projects and investment in community-centred renewable energy. This underscores the need to halt controversial projects such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and channel funding into renewable energy. The EACOP is a 1,443-kilometer-long crude oil pipeline that will run from Hoima, Uganda, to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The pipeline is expected to transport 216,000 barrels of crude oil daily, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Key energy players like TotalEnergies, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC Group who are involved in the project, must therefore put people and the planet first and realise that climate-resilient development is the solution, which involves integrating measures to adapt to climate change with actions to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide wider benefits.
EACOP is a classic example of how not to achieve climate-resilient development. Instead of the governments of Uganda and Tanzania investing in renewable energy, which provides long-term benefits and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they are investing in fossil fuel infrastructure that will lock the region into a high-emissions future. One of the IPCC report’s alarming conclusions is that adverse climate impacts are already more far-reaching and extreme than anticipated, particularly for populations in the Global South. It is thus imperative to stop the controversial EACOP project and invest money into renewable energy, a more sustainable and ecologically sound option.
As the IPCC report underscores the need for urgent and ambitious climate action to tackle climate change, financial institutions must commit not to fund EACOP and challenge the project’s proponents to invest in renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate-resilient development. Ecosystem-based adaptation and accelerated investments in renewable energy sources can significantly increase communities’ resilience to adapt to impacts already devastating their lives and livelihoods while safeguarding biodiversity, improving health outcomes and strengthening food security. It is time for political commitment, coordinated policies, international cooperation, ecosystem stewardship, and inclusive governance to achieve effective and equitable climate action.
