By Judith Ukoh
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC is considering new ways to remove Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
This will form part of a new report from the UN scientists as they gather over the next two weeks to look at how emissions caused by human activities can be removed.
The new report will be the third report from the IPCC released in the past eight months and is expected to focus on what can be done to stop greenhouse emissions. The first and second reports focused on the source and impact of climate change.
According to the Co-chair of the IPCC Working Group III, Professor Jim Skea, the new report for the first time, has an extensive discussion of the need for carbon removal technologies to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature targets.
Skea added that social science findings will also be woven through the report.
The report is due to be released on April 4th, 2022.
In their last report, the UN’s top climate scientists warned that the climate situation has become grim. They implied that removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is imperative for considerable cuts in gas emissions.
They are now looking to find ways to not only reduce the impacts of climate change by cutting down emissions but also by making the entire world adaptable to a new climate: one that is free of carbon pollution.
The IPCC co-chair, Jim Skea said the reports will likely convey that though the activities of humans have caused climate change, human beings also have the resources to do something about it.
The report will consider several alternatives for the removal of carbon. These will likely include planting trees planting, as well as growing plants that can be burned for energy while sucking up carbon from the atmosphere.
Other alternatives are new technologies that use machines to suck up the carbon from the air.
Meanwhile, the social science perceptive of the report will focus on what motivates individual consumers, communities, businesses, to make responsible consumption, reduction, design, and investment choices.
The lead author of this part of the report, Dr. Joyashree Roy said the researchers and authors have been asked to look into the drivers of behavior change.
The report due in two weeks will largely depend on researchers and officials who will comb the report thoroughly. Government representatives from 195 countries will need to approve every line in the summary report.
The conclusions drawn from the report will help guide policymakers and business leaders as they aim to cut emissions.
