Trinidad & Tobago's Planning & Development Minister

O n August 9th, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its 6th Assessment Report (AR6). The IPCC is a scientific body working with hundreds of global experts collaborating to assess evidence from scientific, technical and socio-economic data via a robust, transparent process. This latest Assessment Report is based on the analysis of more than 14,000 studies and is the most comprehensive summary produced to date of the physical science of climate change. Planning and Development Minister Camille Robinson-Regis emphasizes that some points to note from the report are that this era presents one of the worst warming periods in history and is the loudest wake up call to date. The world has already warmed to unprecedented levels and the immediate future does not look any better. Human action has put so much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that this warming will continue at least until the middle of the century, even if nations take immediate steps today to sharply cut emissions. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, for example, is greater than at any time in the past two million years. The AR6 also highlights that strict emissions cuts, implemented immediately, can limit the warming beyond 2050. Best case scenario, reaching “net zero” emissions could even bring warming back slightly under 1.5 degrees Celsius in the second half of the century. Already we are seeing catastrophic flooding and wildfires in many parts of the world which may be unprecedented. The Planning Minister is urging citizens to take note of the severity of the global climate situation and to make attempts to read the report. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Trinidad and Tobago is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As a country with an economy based on oil and gas, chemicals, and a manufacturing industry, we have a responsibility to ensure that RINIDAD & TOBAGO’S anning & Development Minister: limate change is a priority”