New climate change report a 'dire warning'

Climate experts from around the world are urging countries to take faster and further action to save the planet, in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“This report is a dire warning about the consequences of inaction,” IPCC chair Hoesung Lee said in a press release.

Professor Bruce Glavovic, a New Zealand author who contributed to working group two's contribution to the sixth assessment, said there was an "underlying imperative" to change the way humans live and that is achieved by the cumulative effect of action from local efforts to at a global level.

Glavovic said it was exciting to have a destination in mind with evidence of what conditions allow the world to reach it, but the challenge is to find enough political will.

"By restoring and protecting 30 to 50 per cent of earth’s land, freshwater and ocean habitats, biodiversity including humans would face major benefits," the report states.

At the moment, less than 15 per cent of land, 21 per cent of freshwater and 8 per cent of ocean habitats are in protected areas, and in most of these places measures to protect biodiversity from climate change are insufficient, the report states.

The report, written by 270 authors from 67 countries, says some efforts to adapt to a warming world have led to benefits but the projected outlook with current emissions reduction policies will still put "many of the region's human and natural systems at very high risk and beyond adaptation limits".

Glavovic said because of the delay in making changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, "we have an incredibly narrow window".

Delaying adaptation policies and delaying reducing emissions will negatively impact the world’s ability to recover, causing greater financial costs and larger measures to be needed.

"Reducing the risks would require significant and rapid emission reductions to keep global warming to 1.5-2.0°C, as well as robust and timely adaptation," the report says.

Currently, 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in situations that are high vulnerable to climate change.

Glavovic said coastal cities and settlements are the first line of defence.

He said nearly 900 million people live near coastlines with "tremendous vulnerability."

The report projects with a high confidence an increase in extreme fire weather over northern and eastern New Zealand and with medium confidence, an increase in heavy rainfall over northern parts of the country.

The report says indigenous people should be part of the way forward as they provide important knowledge.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Tangata Whenua Māori can enhance effective adaptation through the passing down of knowledge about climate change planning that promotes collective action and mutual support across the region."

A lack of land and water resources is driven by an unsustainable growth in agriculture, created in part by the unbalanced diets of humans. The report also outlines that agricultural growth contributes to food security.

New Zealand author Professor Anita Wreford said an increase in frequency of extreme weather will challenge the agricultural sector's current adaptation measures.

She said instead of the country's trend of responding to disasters after they happen, investment now can prevent bigger economic loss in the future.

The areas with the highest human vulnerability are across Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, small island nations and the Arctic.

Migration, growing inequality and urbanisation are also contributing to climate risk.

"Liveability of our cities is at stake... adaptation is going to have to ramp up," New Zealand author Dr Judy Lawrence said.

"There's going to be very stressed cities."

"Across sectors and regions the most vulnerable people and systems are observed to be disproportionately affected,' the report states.

"Focusing on these people will bring the biggest benefits," Lawrence said.