UWI scientists comment on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, titled Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. The report offers an assessment of climate impacts and risks against “unfolding non-climatic global trends, for example, biodiversity loss, overall unsustainable consumption of natural resources, land and ecosystem degradation, rapid urbanisation, human demographic shifts, social and economic inequalities, and a pandemic”.

Prof. Michael Taylor (Dean, FST): “This report is unambiguous in its findings that vulnerable countries will not be able to adapt to warming beyond the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit. It does not place two degrees Celsius on the table as an alternative or compromise option. Rather, in no uncertain terms, it states that time is of the essence, as the window to secure a liveable and sustainable future, which it unambiguously links to achieving the 1.5-degree target, is rapidly closing.”

Dr. Donovan Campbell, (HoD, Department of Geography and Geology): “Mission critical for the Caribbean is to rapidly scale up climate finance. The report clearly shows that vulnerable SIDS are facing severe constraints to adaptation, and the financial needs are much higher than estimates (previously) presented.”

To view report: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/