Syllabus Section: International Organizations/ Reports & Indices

 

Why in news?

United Nations (UN) recently released its provisional 2020 State of the Global Climate Report. In its report, it has said that the year 2020 is one of the three warmest years recorded ever. UN further said that the warmness could even top the earlier record that was set in 2016.

Highlights

• The United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has further said,  past six years, that is year starting from 2015 to 2020, will make up all six of the hottest years since modern recording started in 1850.

• The average global temperature will be about 1.2 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level.

• The report says, there is at least a one in five chance of it to exceed 1.5 degree Celsius by 2024.

• The WMO also said, 2020 seemed to be the second-hottest year ever.

Other key findings in the report

• The Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are the main cause of climate change. It keeps on hitting the new record highs.

• The scenario did not last in the 2020 even though several measures and lockdowns were taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

• As per the report, it was expected that, the annual impact of the corona virus crisis will drop the carbon emissions by 4.2 to 7.5 percent. But, the CO2 remains in the atmosphere for centuries. Thus, the effect of the pandemic on it is negligible.

 

Source: The Science Alert