IPCC’s Report Raises the Alarms to Code Red

Today, the IPCC released its last report under the Sixth Assessment Cycle after approval by government delegates in Interlaken. The Synthesis Report covers the major findings from the last three Assessment reports and the Special Reports, and provides a comprehensive scientific framework for understanding the climate crisis and solutions to it.

In response, Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy Campaign Manager, Oil Change International, said:

“The IPCC’s Synthesis Report once more raises the alarms to code red: we need urgent action on the climate crisis. With nearly 3.6 billion people worldwide highly climate vulnerable, there is no alternative to a rapid fossil fuel phase-out. We must replace our extractive, inequitable energy system with one built on renewable, regenerative solutions. Yet, this report shows that, even now, governments and corporations are investing more in fossil fuels causing this crisis than the solutions we need to tackle it. Any government leader who sees this science yet keeps slow-walking solutions, doing the bidding of big polluters, will be complicit in mass devastation and death.

“The United Nations Secretary-General’s response to the IPCC report makes it abundantly clear that the time when countries can pretend to be climate leaders while expanding oil and gas production is over. This is why the Biden administration’s reckless decision to approve the Willow oil project in Alaska deserves international condemnation. We commend Secretary General Guterres for laying out clear expectations for all countries to ban new oil and gas projects immediately while charting a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy for all. This question must be at the heart of the Secretary General’s September summit and COP28.

“The IPCC report should be a rallying cry, and today should be a turning point for urgent action, not simply a warning signal. We have the solutions to the climate crisis: we must divest from existing fossil fuel projects, cancel scheduled ones, and invest in renewables. The clock is ticking, and we cannot afford to waste any more time. Every day we delay action on climate change is a day lost in the fight for a livable future. We urge world leaders to take bold action. Together, we must work towards a just and sustainable future for all. COP 28 will be the opportunity for governments to double down on their climate commitments. The time for action is now.”