What’s next for the climate crisis?

By Madelyn Anderson SCIENCE WRITER

If you’re an active media consumer, chances are you’ve seen the four letters that often serve as the face of the climate crisis: IPCC. Also known as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this committee assembled by the United Nations is responsible for analyzing and communicating the latest scientific findings regarding our planet.

On March 20, IPCC published the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report, a collection of scientific findings designed to urge policymakers into action. It includes input from over 700 scientists spanning a multitude of fields, including focus areas on physical science, climate change mitigation and climate change impact assessment.

The synthesis report aims to combine the individual reports from the above specialized areas into one digestible read. This year’s edition also includes three special reports on the 1.5 degree Celsius increase in average global temperature, the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate, and climate change in land.

Now that the Sixth Assessment cycle is complete, countries are equipped with knowledge to participate in the Global Stocktake this year, evaluating their efforts towards Paris Agreement goals. Many view these recent findings as humanity’s final warning before global warming becomes irreversible.

Consequently, it’s crucial citizens read the report, especially students who will be future participants in this changing climate. However, other responsibilities call and not everyone has the time to read through 86 pages.

If you’re eager to understand the main ideas and start making changes, read the five key takeaways from the IPCC Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report below.

1. The global surface temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius due to unsustainable use of natural resources.

Our planet is warming faster than ever before, and each fraction of a degree matters. At 1.1 degrees Celsius, there have been observable changes to the biosphere. These include ris-