Lack of political action on climate alarms scientists

The EASAC report suggests that damages from climate-related disasters could surpass mitigation costs sixfold by 2050, and that delaying action will only exacerbate economic losses and humanitarian crises

- By ABDULAZIZ KHATTAK

THE escalating climate crisis demands urgent action as scientific evidence paints an increasingly dire picture.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion continue at an alarming rate, outpacing global efforts to mitigate them.

If left unchecked, these trends threaten to destabilise economies, displace populations, and push the planet beyond the point of no return.

The European Academies' Science Advisory Council's (EASAC) latest report underscores this critical moment, emphasising that decisive policy shifts are needed now more than ever.

"Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are now passing those in the Pliocene warm period 3.3 million years ago, when temperatures were around 3 deg C hotter and sea levels were 20 m higher," says Professor Michael Norton, lead author of EASAC's 2025 update of its 2020 Perspective on Transformative Change.

He adds: "Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are continuing to rise and climate change accelerating, causing severe damage and loss of life. Despite substantial progress in green tech, we're still breaking the planet's boundaries, and a shift to an increasingly inhospitable planet may already be underway." The EASAC report examines the evidence of worsening trends, the inadequate responses, and the urgent need for bold policy action globally, where the EU is already in the lead.

Some of the report's key findings include:

• Climate deterioration: Greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric concentrations continue to rise, pushing temperatures higher and leading to more extreme climate-related damages.

• Economic loss: The EU has faced climaterelated economic losses of €162 billion over the past three years, with over 60,000 heatrelated deaths in the 2022 summer alone.