'EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE'

This is the strategy required to fight climate change, said UN chief António Guterres while releasing IPCC's 'Synthesis Report' on March 20. Guterres describes the report as a "guide to diffuse the climate bomb". But the clock is ticking, with some climate impacts nearing irreversibility. Here's a look at a few concerns:

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FINAL WARNING Decades of climate talks have not made a dent in carbon emissions

TROPICAL CYCLONES Warmer waters turn storm systems extreme and unpredictable

GRAIN SIZE Days with extreme heat, rain shrink the size of seeds across India 

FINAL WARNING

WORK WITH HASTE

Actions so far have not effectively alleviated climate impacts, says IPCC. Focus now on rapidly cutting emissions

AVANTIKA GOSWAMI AND ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY, NEW DELHI

HE WINDOW of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future is rapidly closing, warns the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Synthesis Report released on March 20. Being a summary of the findings of six reports released during IPCC's Sixth Assessment Cycle in 2018-22, the latest document does not provide any new data, but effectively manages to highlight the delay and deception tactics used by industry and governments to cover up inaction.

The Synthesis Report reiterates that excess emissions from human activities have raised the global temperature by 1.1°C above the 1850-1900 level. While stabilising the climate requires strong, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, current policy action will lead to further temperature rise (see 'Drastic measures needed', p18). The report states Nationally Determined Contributions announced by countries till October 2021 make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century, and it will be difficult to stay below a 2°C threshold.