“The report assesses that billions of tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year are being avoided or not being emitted because of the direct effect of policies and laws and other measures to constrain emissions and reduce emissions,” explains Jotzo.

“So it’s no longer hypothetical in terms of reducing emissions, it’s actually happening. Eighteen countries can be identified as having substantially and consistently reducing emissions over time, and the aggregate effect globally of emissions policies is a very significant one.”

‘In short our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere, all at once.’

United Nations secretary general António Guterres

The three-step process needed to put the world on track to meeting targets is made clear in the report.

We need immediate and rapid cuts to fossil fuel use, quickly followed by their abolition.

Then we need to tackle emissions from those industries which are at present harder to render clean like aviation and shipping, steel and concrete manufacturing.

Finally, we need to protect and expand our natural carbon sinks, such as forests, and then deploy carbon capture and storage technology at scale to harvest the warming agent from the atmosphere.

Though the steps are sequential, work on all – and funding for them – must begin at once and continue concurrently.

“In short,” said United Nations chief António Guterres on the report’s publication, “our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere, all at once.”

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So far this is not happening. According to some of those party to the pre-publication negotiations, while the science is no longer debated by national representatives at IPCC meetings, tensions over the cost of climate mitigation and adaptation are increasing.

And in the face of an energy crisis governments are resisting taking the steps needed to phase out fossil fuels, which include rapidly ending subsidies and ceasing approval and funding of new oil and gas projects.

These steps are neither easy nor cheap, but they are necessary, and now absolutely clear.

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