The IPCC Synthesis Report - what are the key takeaways?
The report flags that we're not on-track to limit the rise in global temperature below 2°C. Our Midlands head of sustainability, Maggie Hall, shares her thoughts.
Our head of sustainability in the Midlands, Maggie Hall, helps our customers to implement sustainable solutions on their projects so they can reach their wider sustainability goals.
A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted that the global plans around carbon reduction aren’t enough; we’re not on-track to limit the rise in global temperature below 2°C.
Maggie reflects on the report's findings and the approach we all need to take to do our bit.
When I talk to customers about sustainability, I’ve often likened the race to net-zero as a marathon, not a sprint. The idea being that we don’t have to go from nothing to net-zero carbon overnight. However, the Synthesis Report recently released by the IPCC stopped me in my tracks and has changed the way I talk about the race to net-zero.
Findings in the report suggest that, actually, the race is beginning to look more like a sprint. We’re not on-track to limit the impact of climate change. We have to act now to change that, or the consequences will only get worse and what we’ll need to do will get substantially greater.
After reading the report, here’s my view on where we currently stand...
We’re not doing enough right now
The Paris Agreement aims to keep the rise of global temperature well below 2°C, preferably limited to 1.5°C. The agreement was adopted in 2015, yet, globally, we hit an all-time high in energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022.
Greenhouse gases are cumulative; the less we do now, the more we must do in the future to rectify the damage that’s been caused.
As it stands, the numbers aren’t on our side. To reach the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°, we would have to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and ensure we hit the Government’s goal of reaching net-zero by 2050.
This is a huge ask, but the flipside is incredibly worrying.
If all countries implement their policies in full, we are still heading towards a 2.8°C temperature increase, which will leave many places unliveable and put 3.3bn livelihoods at risk.
We’re already starting to feel the effects
In 2022 we saw UK temperatures hit over 40°C for the first time on record, and we aren’t alone in feeling these changes.
The Australian summer of 2019-2020 saw bushfires destroy up to 19 million hectares of land and around 3,094 homes. In 2021 California experienced its most extreme drought in the 126 years of records being kept. And in 2022 deadly floods swept across Pakistan, impacting an estimated 33 million people.
The unpredictability of our climate will only worsen if we don’t act now.
Is all lost? Absolutely not!
This all makes for a shocking read, but all is not lost.
There’s so much more we need to do, but the first step is doing something rather than doing nothing.
As mentioned above, greenhouse gases are cumulative – the longer you leave it, the worse it gets. The flipside of this is that the more you do now, the bigger the impact on the long-term. On a construction project, even changes like not using gas in your building will have a big impact, helping to reduce carbon emissions over the building’s lifetime.
But to cut emissions by half this decade we also need to focus much more on what is emitted during the construction of the building, not just in operation. Considering emissions associated with the manufacture of materials is crucial and we need to look towards a circular economy. When selecting materials we should consider their durability, recycled content and whether there are suitable lower carbon alternatives. It might also be possible to retrofit or repurpose rather than demolish and build new.
All in all, we need to adopt the right mindset. Although we do have to work within financial parameters, incorporating as many elements of sustainable construction as possible should always be our goal.
Doing something is better than nothing, but we need to do as much as we can now to limit the negative long-term impact. 2050 might seem a long way off but it’s what we do this decade that will really count.
How can Willmott Dixon help?
We all have our role to play in mitigating the impact of the built environment on our planet and we’re actively working with customers to help them achieve their sustainability goals.
Some great examples of how we can help include…