The world has a “brief and rapidly closing” window to adapt to climate change, with the risks associated with lower levels of warming greater than previously thought, the latest instalment of a landmark UN report signed off by 270 scientists from 67 countries has concluded.
Some losses were already irreversible and ecosystems were reaching the limits of their ability to adapt to the changing climate, the scientists warned in the blunt assessment.
The findings were an “atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership,” said UN secretary-general António Guterres. “I have seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this.”
Hazards such as the rise in sea levels were unavoidable, and “any further delay” to mitigate and adapt to warming would miss the “window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”, the long-awaited analysis said.
US climate envoy John Kerry said the report “paints a dire picture of the impacts already occurring because of a warmer world and the terrible risks to our planet if we continue to ignore science”.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Assembly, said the world was on track for warming of 3C since the pre-industrial period. “We are in an emergency heading for a disaster,” she said.
The analysis of the world’s ability to adapt to global warming from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the sixth such report and follows last year’s landmark paper on the science of warming.
That report found that the world was likely to temporarily reach 1.5C of warming within 20 years, even in the best-case scenario of deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the pre-industrial period.
“So much depends on what we do as a society . . . The future depends on us, not the climate,” said Helen Adams, a lecturer at King’s College London and lead author.
The report lands as Europe struggles with its dependence on oil and gas for energy, with its supplies from Russia threatened by Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. During the closing IPCC session, Russian delegate Oleg Anasimov apologised “on behalf of all Russians who were not able to prevent this conflict”.
The UN’s Guterres said “current events” made clear the reliance on fossil fuels “makes the global economy and energy security vulnerable”.
The evidence for human-induced climate change and its effects was “unequivocal”, and limiting warming to 1.5C would reduce but not eliminate the negative impact, said the latest analysis, echoing the earlier IPCC report findings.
But the authors also concluded that the effects of warming, such as extreme weather events, would become more severe at lower temperatures than the previous 2014 IPCC adaptation assessment had concluded. That change was the result of more and better evidence.
“The impacts that we are observing on ecosystems, on natural systems and on human systems are much more widespread and are really accelerating,” said Marie-Fanny Racault, from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and a report author.
Human societies and the natural world could adapt to climate change “within limits”, but the effectiveness of adaptation would “decrease with increasing warming”, the scientists stressed.
Rises in sea level, for example, posed an “existential threat” for some small islands, while vital infrastructure, such as ports and energy systems, would be “increasingly vulnerable” if not designed to withstand climate change.
By 2100, between $7.9tn and $12.7tn in global assets would be in one-in-100-year coastal floodplains, based on a “medium” scenario, with about 1bn people at risk from coastal hazards such as flooding by 2060, the authors estimated.
“Multiple ports and coastal infrastructure are at risk . . . [which are] an important backbone of our global activity,” said Richard Dawson, a professor at Newcastle University and lead author.
“If we put up buildings that are not ready for the next 50-100 years of climate, or infrastructure that is not resilient and designed with future risks in mind, then effectively we’re locking in problems.”
The money available for adaptation was “insufficient,” the authors said. The UN has called for climate finance to be split evenly between efforts to curb and adapt to climate change, but most goes towards mitigation.
Sticking points during IPCC negotiations included pushback by some countries, including the US, against the phrase “loss and damage” in the report’s summary for policymakers. The term is politically charged as it implies financial compensation. Instead, the final summary uses the compromise term of “losses and damages”.
The IPCC authors were unable to reliably quantify the potential hit to the global economy of a failure to prepare for climate change, but said that “losses and damages” would increase as the planet warmed.
Aromar Revi, from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and a report author, said the question remained as to “whether we can make the right societal choices quickly enough.”
LONDON — Britain vowed to ramp up its targeting of Russian dirty money Monday as it unveiled long-awaited economic crime legislation.
The proposed law — the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill — will pave the way for a “register of overseas entities” identifying foreign owners of U.K. property, the Home Office said.
Selling restrictions will be imposed on those who do not comply, and people found breaking the disclosure rules could face up to five years in prison.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made clear that the proposals, long pushed for by U.K. lawmakers and transparency campaigners, are explicitly aimed at supporters of the Russian government in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. Britain, and in particular its major financial hub the City of London, has long been criticized as a relatively safe haven for illicit finance.
Johnson said in a statement accompanying the announcement that the bill would mean President Vladimir Putin’s backers would have “nowhere to hide your ill-gotten gains.”
“We are going faster and harder to tear back the façade that those supporting Putin’s campaign of destruction have been hiding behind for so long,” he added.
The proposed register will apply retrospectively to property bought by people based overseas up to 20 years ago in England and Wales, and since December 2014 in Scotland.
The U.K. government will also bring properties held by trusts into the scope of the existing system of so-called Unexplained Wealth Orders, which, if held up in court, allow British authorities to force disclosure of sources of wealth and potentially seize assets.
The definition of an asset holder will be expanded to stop individuals hiding behind shell companies and foundations, the U.K. government promised.
Law enforcement will also be given more time to review material when investigating unexplained wealth, and cost rules will be reformed to prevent investigators running up substantial legal costs even if they are unsuccessful in these cases.
As Western powers hit Russia with a host of sanctions, the U.K. Treasury is also promising to "intensify" its system of sanctions enforcement.
The government is also promising detail on plans to require anyone setting up, running, owning or controlling a company in the U.K. to verify their identity with Companies House, which will be given new powers to challenge information. The changes will be introduced in an additional Economic Crime Bill.
Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the opposition party had repeatedly called for the measures, and promised to support the legislation.
She said the government should enact the new laws “in their strongest form to tackle dirty money once and for all.”
Labour urged the government to “also work with European countries on a wider sanctuary arrangement so the U.K. can also do its bit alongside others to help Ukraine."
Johnson announced on Sunday that anyone settled in the U.K. will be able to bring immediate family members to join them from Ukraine, a move he said would benefit "many thousands of people."
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Mr Foster later tweeted that working was "just one of several routes".
Yesterday I pressed Ministers on opening safe routes to sanctuary in Britain for those fleeing war in Ukraine. The Immigration Minister replied suggesting visas to pick fruit on British farms. I like Kevin but this was painfully unaware and unkind. We need safe routes open now 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/p0SEm7IECM
Mr Foster, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for immigration, posted his comments in response to Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Labour MP and shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard on Twitter.
Mr Pollard had raised concerns about UK visa restrictions on refugees from Ukraine and said he was "looking for a route for people fleeing Ukraine who might not have a family link in the UK".
He said: "We have a moral obligation to help them. Will you now change policy to do exactly that?"
UK Parliament
Mr Foster replied in the now-deleted post: "As you will be well aware there are a number of routes, not least our seasonal worker scheme you will recall from your Shadow Defra days, which Ukrainians can qualify for, alongside the family route for those with relatives here."
Mr Foster later added: "Hi Luke. It's just one of several routes and we will do more as the PM has made clear."
Mr Pollard responded that the initial tweet was "painfully unaware and unkind" and added: "We need safe routes now."
My God. People are fleeing war in Europe, the like we haven’t seen in generations, in search of swift sanctuary.
Yet the immigration minister says the answer is they should put in an application to pick Britain’s fruit & veg. https://t.co/bQcLOZzSoS
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper tweeted in response to Mr Foster's initial comment: "My God. People are fleeing war in Europe, the like we haven't seen in generations, in search of swift sanctuary.
"Yet the immigration minister says the answer is they should put in an application to pick Britain's fruit & veg."
North Wales Police are today investigating a serious road traffic collision on the A55 near Broughton, where sadly two people died.
The collision occurred at just after 12.15pm this afternoon and involved multiple vehicles, with some eyewitness accounts referring to a car going the ‘wrong way’ on the road.
Sergeant Liam Morris of the Roads Policing Unit is appealing for witnesses.
He said: “I extend my heartfelt sympathy for the families involved.
“I urge anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact us immediately to assist us with our investigation. I am particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have dash-cam footage of a red Audi TT driving erratically at around this time.
“If you or someone you know has information that could help us with the investigation, please contact officers at the Roads Policing Unit via our LiveChat service, or by calling 101, quoting reference B027422.”
A Ukrainian serviceman walks by a damaged vehicle, at the site of a fighting with Russian troops after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 26, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
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LONDON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Russian advance into Ukraine has temporarily slowed, probably because of logistical problems and strong resistance, Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday.
"The speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance," the ministry said in a regular intelligence update posted on Twitter.
"Russian forces are bypassing major Ukrainian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them. Overnight clashes in Kyiv are likely to have involved limited numbers of pre-positioned Russian groups. The capture of Kyiv remains Russia's primary military objective."
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Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Catherine Evans
British Airways has said all of its short-haul flights from Heathrow are cancelled until midday today following ongoing "technical issues".
The airline said customers due to travel later today should check their flight status on ba.com before coming to the airport as "we anticipate further disruption during the day".
It said its long-haul services at Heathrow and all flights at Gatwick and London City Airport are due to operate as planned, "but customers may experience some delays".
The airline said the problem is related to a hardware issue and is not because of a cyber attack.
The company added its website was working and customers can check-in online and at the airport.
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"We are offering customers on cancelled services options including a full refund and all customers booked to travel on short-haul services from Heathrow today can opt to rebook to a later date for free if they choose. We will be contacting customers proactively."
The airline's website and app were down for hours leaving customers unable to check-in online or book flights.
'BA running on paper'
Ed Hall, 54, a television executive from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, was stranded on a plane for over an hour after touching down at Heathrow Terminal 5 on Friday because the crew could not access any IT systems to get a stand where passengers could disembark.
He said there were issues even before his BA 399 flight took off from Brussels.
Mr Hall said: "We couldn't take off as the pilot's system that calculates weight, loads and distribution went offline and we had to go back to the gate from the runway to get a (manual) copy sent from London.
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