Climate Tech Break: What the IPCC 2022 Report Means (Episode 2)
We break down what the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) means for efforts to combat the climate crisis and invest in clean energy.
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I'm Brad Carl with Silverline, a leading PR agency focused on the exciting developments in decarbonization and sustainability. The time is now for clean energy and bold solutions, and this is your Climate Tech Break.
The latest report from the IPCC is out. Think of it as a report card from the world's leading scientists about how well our society is tackling the challenges of climate change, with this edition specifically looking at policy. And the grade so far – well – hasn't been all that great. The report states that since the end of the Industrial Revolution in the 1850s, the world has collectively warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius. Now, that may not sound like much. But consider the extent of climate change-exacerbated disasters we’re already seeing – things like intensified droughts and heat waves, heavy rain and flooding, wildfires, and the rapid intensification of hurricanes. And that's before we add another potential full degree of planetary warming, as we're on track for between now and the end of the century.
But as this report makes clear, there are options across all sectors to chop emissions in half by 2030, with plenty of untapped potential to be unleashed. Big problems like climate change require big solutions, and this collective report clearly states that we need to do more. We need a wealth of new investments, entrepreneurs, and out-of-the-box thinkers to tackle this great challenge. And the IPCC estimates we'll need to invest a whopping $1.6 trillion – that's trillion with a T – per year through 2050 to ensure we're on track to a stable and safer climate trajectory. And we're only spending about 20% of that number now, so the sky is truly the limit.
We can and must meet this moment to boldly tackle climate change. That means not just talking about how it's impacting us, but also highlighting the clean energy solutions that are out there. I'll be doing just that the upcoming American Meteorological Society broadcast conference in Milwaukee come June. And in my next episode, I'll share with you what I've learned from talking with broadcasters covering clean energy and climate in their newsrooms.
From Silverline Studios, I'm Brad Carl – power through the week.
