Extreme weather in many places around the world this year is urgent to jointly address climate change
The Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) pointed out that global warming has been occurring at a rate unprecedented in the past 50 years. Continued warming has exacerbated the instability of the climate system, leading to an increase and intensification of extreme weather and climate events, with a wider impact.
Schematic diagram of major global severe weather events in June 2024. Photo source: Central Meteorological Observatory
Extreme weather events occur in many places around the world
Since the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, the highest temperature in northern India has approached 50℃, the highest temperature in Mecca, Saudi Arabia has reached 51.8℃, and the highest temperature in many states in the southwestern United States has exceeded 38℃. Several European resorts have issued severe weather warnings to remind tourists of the hot weather on the European continent.
In July, Typhoon Beryl made landfall in the United States, leaving nearly 3 million homes and businesses in Texas without power. The hurricane also brought heavy rainfall, trapping many people in floods. Many countries in Latin America have experienced extreme weather such as frost and cold waves. Among them, frost and drought have affected nearly 60,000 families in Bolivia. Argentina issued a series of low-temperature warnings.
Many places in the central and southern Philippines have recently suffered floods, causing many deaths and injuries and affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The Pantanal Wetland, the world's largest wetland, has suffered fires this year, burning more than 760,000 hectares. Marina Silva, Brazil's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said the fires were caused by a combination of factors such as climate change, water shortages and deforestation.
The "China Blue Book on Climate Change (2024)" shows that as a sensitive area and significant impact area of global climate change, from the perspective of long-term changes in extreme events, the number of annual warm day days in China has increased by an average of 6.7 days every 10 years; the national cumulative annual heavy rain (daily precipitation ≥50 mm) The number of station days increased by 4.1% every 10 years.
Every 0.1 degree rise in temperature is important
In 2023, the global average temperature, ocean heat content and sea level height will all hit new highs, and the Antarctic sea ice extent will hit a new low. Among them, the global average surface temperature in 2023 is the highest since meteorological observation records began in 1850.
In early 2024, after the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that global temperatures in 2023 would break records, WMO Secretary-General Schlester Soro said,"Climate change is the biggest challenge facing mankind. We are already taking action, but we must continue to work hard and accelerate our actions. Greenhouse gas emissions must be significantly reduced and the transition to renewable energy accelerated."
The Paris Agreement clearly controls the global average warming to no more than 2 ° C compared with before the Industrial Revolution and strives to achieve 1.5 ° C. Research in the scientific community shows that warming more than 1.5°C may trigger more serious climate change impacts and extreme weather, and every 0.1 degree temperature rise is important. In order to cope with climate change and promote the emission reduction of greenhouse gases mainly composed of carbon dioxide, more than 100 countries around the world have proposed carbon neutrality goals. Among them, China proposes to strive to achieve carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.
Photovoltaic power station of Kuqa Green Hydrogen Demonstration Project in Xinjiang. Photo by China Net reporter Peng Yao
"China Green" provides useful reference
In recent years, China has made great efforts in ecological and environmental governance. A set of data shows the true chapter: As of now, the national forest coverage rate has exceeded 24%, making it the country with the fastest growth in forest resources in the world; 52 mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand have been implemented. The integrated protection and restoration project has completed a total of more than 100 million acres of restoration and management area. The "China Landscape Project" has been successfully selected as the first batch of the world's top ten flagship ecological restoration projects by the United Nations; Build a "National Park-Nature Reserves-Natural Parks" biodiversity in-situ protection network; promote the protection and restoration project of typical marine ecosystems, and increase the mangrove area to 438,000 acres, becoming one of the few countries in the world with a net increase in mangrove area. One of the countries.
Lucid waters and green mountains are invaluable assets. As the strategic position of ecological civilization construction continues to be strengthened, environmental awareness has gradually been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and production and lifestyle are also undergoing profound changes.
In 2022, the proportion of new green building area in China will increase from 77% at the end of the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" to 91.2%; in 2023, China's photovoltaic installed capacity will rank first in the world for 10 consecutive years, and the total new installed capacity will rank first in the world for 8 consecutive years. Ranked first in the world; as of the end of 2023, the cumulative transaction volume of China's carbon emissions trading market will be approximately 440 million tons, covering annual carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 5.1 billion tons.
In 2024, China will carry out the "Top Ten Actions to Peak Carbon", improve carbon emission statistical accounting and verification capabilities, deepen the energy revolution, and strengthen the construction of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases and export channels into the government work report. In the first half of this year, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption in total energy consumption increased by 1.9 percentage points year-on-year. The output of new energy vehicles increased by 34.3% year-on-year, and the output of supporting products charging piles and lithium ion power batteries for automobiles increased by 25.4% and 16.5% respectively.
October 2021, Baofeng Wetland in Kunming, China. Data Map Photo by China Net reporter Peng Yao
Unite the world to jointly address the climate crisis
The world is cold and hot, and mankind has a shared destiny. In his speech at the closing ceremony of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (hereinafter referred to as "COP28"), United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that although the timetables, paths and goals of countries at different levels of development will differ, all efforts must be consistent with achieving global net zero emissions by 2050 and maintaining the 1.5-degree goal. He called on the world to unite and jointly respond to the challenge of the climate crisis.
Since 2016, China has launched 10 low-carbon demonstration zones, 100 climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, and 1000 cooperation projects to address climate change in developing countries, and has implemented more than 200 foreign aid projects to address climate change; signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Building a Green Belt and Road" with the United Nations Environment Program, and signed cooperation documents on ecological and environmental protection with relevant countries and international organizations; Implement the "Green Silk Road Messenger Plan" to cultivate green talents for the co-construction country; Actively participate in cooperation in energy transformation and energy efficiency improvement under the framework of the G20, China-ASEAN, etc., and take the lead in formulating the "G20 Energy Efficiency Leadership Plan"... From building a community with a shared future for mankind to global development initiatives, from proposing visions to in-depth In practice, China fulfills its international responsibilities and obligations, promotes high-quality development with green and low-carbon, and deepens international cooperation and becomes an important participant, contributor and leader in the construction of global ecological civilization.
"China Green" provides useful reference for developing countries to reduce carbon emissions and achieve low-carbon development. During last year's COP28, Egyptian Deputy Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Ahmed Mohammed Masina said that the global energy Internet initiative proposed by China is of great significance to global energy transformation and climate governance. At the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly held in March this year, Rob DeJong, head of the Sustainable Transportation Department of the United Nations Environment Agency, said that China is a leader in electrification and electric vehicle promotion, and hopes that China will share experience with the world, especially the global South. Use Chinese technology to promote affordable electric vehicles to the world.
According to a report released by the World Meteorological Organization in June, there is an 80% probability that the global annual average temperature will be temporarily 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels for at least one year in the next five years. This has sounded an alarm for the world that action to deal with climate change is urgent.
In the "National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change 2035" released in 2022, China proposed that it will actively participate in climate change adaptation work under multilateral frameworks, broaden opportunities for international cooperation in adapting to climate change, strengthen South-South cooperation in adapting to climate change, and provide a basis for continuing to strengthen China's adaptation to climate change. Action points out the direction to improve climate risk prevention and resilience.
