The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report on the latest climate science information named ‘United in Science 2021’.
- As per the report, the COVID-19 caused only a temporary decline in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2020.
- Whereas the concentrations of major greenhouse gases – CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere continued to increase in 2020 and the first half of 2021.
Key Findings of the Report:
i.Global Climate in 2017- 21: The global average surface temperature for the period from 2017–2021 is among the warmest on record, estimated at 1.06 °C to 1.26 °C above pre-industrial (1850–1900) levels.
ii.Fossil CO2 emissions – coal, oil, gas and cement – increased to 36.6 gigatonne carbon dioxide (GtCO2) in 2019, followed by a drop of 1.98 GtCO2 (5.6 percent) in 2020 due to COVID-19.
iii.Sea level rise: Global mean sea levels rose 20 cm from 1900 to 2018 and at an accelerated rate of 3.7+0.5 mm/year from 2006 to 2018.
- Even if emissions are reduced to limit warming to well below 2 °C, the global mean sea level is expected to rise 0.3–0.6 m by 2100 and could rise by 0.3–3.1 m by 2300.
iv.Around 103 billion potential work hours were lost globally in 2019 compared with those lost in 2000 due to work impairment and heat-related mortality due to rising temperature.
v.As per the report, the average global temperature for the past 5 years was among the highest on record.
vi.The high latitude regions and the Sahel are likely to be wetter over 2021–2025 than in the recent past.
vii.There is an increasing likelihood for a breach in the Paris Agreement which aims to reduce global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
Note – The report was prepared by WMO along with Global Carbon Project (GCP), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), the Met Office (United Kingdom (UK)), etc.
Recent Related News:
World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has released a report titled, “The Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970–2019)” which states that number of disasters, such as floods and heatwaves, driven by climate change have increased fivefold over the past 50 years.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO):
Establishment – 23 March 1950
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Secretary-general – Petteri Taalas
Members – 193 Member States and Territories
