IPCC Report 2021

IPCC Report - Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

The IPCC has finalised the first part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report. Based on 14,000 scientific publications, it was completed on 6 August 2021 during the 14th Session of Working Group I and 54th Session of the IPCC.

The Report details that human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate. This is in breach of the 2015 Paris Agreement, of which Australia is a signatory.

In the recent article by Edie-Louise Diemar, Engineers Australia quoted its CEO Dr Bronwyn Evans AM HonFIEAust CPEng, who stressed the importance of governments bringing engineers to the table to help combat climate change. “As the creators of low emissions solutions and managers of our built environment, engineers are ready to meet the climate challenge,” Dr Evans said. “Engineers will play a vital role, not only in building resilience in a new climate, but importantly, in cutting emissions to mitigate extreme climate change.”

Jason Quinn of Sustainable Engineering shared an infographic titled Worlds Apart in his recent article, which describes the story of three possible warmer worlds. View the infographic here.