WMO “The science is very clear: we are far from achieving global climate goals,” said Celeste Saulo, UN Secretary-General. 2023 was the warmest year on record by a wide margin. The first eight months of 2024 are set to be the warmest on record, according to reliable international data.
He called for “urgent and ambitious action” on sustainable development, climate action and disaster risk reduction, saying that “decisions we make today will set the course for future disruption or create a better world.”
Reiterating United’s stark assessment in the latest science report produced in collaboration with the United Nations, Celeste Saulo said record levels of greenhouse gas concentrations would accelerate global temperature increases. He said extreme weather is “destroying our lives and our economy.”
His comments came against a backdrop of deadly wildfires in Latin America and Portugal, and devastating flooding in central Europe linked to Hurricane Boris that inundated parts of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Ahead of a future summit at UN headquarters in New York, the WMO chief reiterated the call for global action. He emphasized the untapped potential of natural and social sciences, and the need for new technologies and innovations to help countries reduce their vulnerability to development, disaster and climate adaptation.
Digital convenience, a reality
He said the science of weather forecasting is already being revolutionized by AI and machine learning in a “fast, affordable and accessible way”. He said cutting-edge satellite technology and virtual reality simulations are now “pushing new frontiers” in key areas such as managing land and water vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather.
Highlighting the importance of satellite technology in climate science, Celeste Saulo said that innovations in space-based Earth observation could improve monitoring of greenhouse gas sources and carbon sequestration.
The WMO Secretary General also highlighted the potential of new technologies such as the “digital twin” and virtual reality, which creates a virtual replica of a physical object. It provides immersive simulated environments to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and enhance disaster preparedness.
Celeste Saulo said that the use of technology alone will not be enough to solve climate change. He called on all countries to share their expertise and experience at the Future Summit to be held in New York on September 22-23, so that “the benefits of science and technology should be accessible if we are to achieve global goals.” All.”
Purpose of global goals
These goals include the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).
According to the latest climate data from this year’s United Nations Science Report, there is an 86 percent chance that temperatures will exceed 2023, the hottest year on record, in at least one year in the next five years. Additionally, there is an 80 percent chance that global average near-surface temperatures will temporarily exceed pre-industrial levels by 1.5C in at least one of the next five years.
The report, produced in partnership with the WMO, said progress has been made in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, “but the emissions gap remains wide.”
It also warns that there is a 66 per cent chance that global temperature rise will reach 3C this century if there are no changes to current policies.
The report’s authors emphasized that under current policies, “to limit global temperature increases to below 2C and 1.5C, global greenhouse gas emissions would need to be reduced by 28 percent and 42 percent, respectively, in 2030, below emission levels.” ”