https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24kllyye1o
The UK should be prepared to cope with weather extremes as a result of at least 2C of global warming by 2050, independent climate advisers have said.
The country was “not yet adapted” to worsening weather extremes already occurring at current levels of warming, “let alone” what was expected to come, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) wrote in a letter addressed to the government.
The committee said they would advise that the UK prepare for climate change beyond the long-term temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement.
The letter came as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2024 had seen a record rise of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
CO2 is the gas mainly responsible for human-caused climate change and is released when fossil fuels are burnt, as well as other activities.
The CCC’s letter came after it had been asked to provide advice on a timeframe for setting adaption scenarios, based on “minimum climate scenarios”.
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The increase of CO2 in the atmosphere between 2023 and 2024 was the largest since modern measurements started in the late 1950s, the WMO said.
This follows findings first reported by the Met Office in January.
“The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.
“Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being,” she added.
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Original article at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24kllyye1o
