Today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its report titled, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. The report details the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities on both a global and regional scale. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the limits of the natural world and humans to adapt to climate change. The IPCC is currently in its Sixth Assessment cycle, and this report is the second of three working group reports that lead up to the release of the IPCC’s Synthesis Report in 2022.
“Today’s report makes it devastatingly clear that we must come together as a global community to adapt to and address climate change,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “The unfortunate reality we face is one where all Americans, regardless of whether they live along the coasts, in cities, or in rural areas, must prepare for a wide range of climate change impacts. From intensified flooding, fueled by heavy precipitation and rising seas, to extreme wildland fires amplified by drought and dry weather conditions, the impacts of climate change and extreme weather will be detrimental to both natural and human systems. Many climate impacts are already baked in necessitating the need for adaptation activities to occur alongside mitigation efforts. As Chairwoman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I will continue to prioritize effective, bipartisan legislation that will ensure we have the tools to work towards science-based solutions to adapt to the climate crisis. I thank the authors of this report, and the reports before it, for giving us the knowledge and understanding of the state of our climate.”
“This report lays out in even more detail the undeniable risks of climate change that will be felt across the world,” said Chairwoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) of the Subcommittee on Environment. “It also highlights the role of adaptation as a climate solution but makes it clear that climate adaptation has its limits. I look forward to working with Chairwoman Johnson, and my colleagues on this Committee, to support federal efforts that can underpin the opportunities identified in this report to address climate vulnerability and impacts.”
