Heatwaves, flash floods, incessant rains, deadly forest fires. Extreme climate change events seem to be grabbing headlines daily across the world and a new UN report has made it clear that some of these climate changes are irreversible.
Referred to as 'code red for humanity', the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a landmark report on 9 August which draws on more than 14,000 scientific studies. The report also comes just three months before the important climate summit in Glasgow known as COP26.
The report has scientifically projected how the climate will be impacted if carbon and greenhouse emissions are not reduced but underlining it all is a message for the biggest polluters that they need to reassess their climate policy.
And one polluter, India, cannot afford to ignore the findings of the IPCC report.
The report has predicted an increase in the likelihood of disasters like the Chamoli glacial break in Uttarakhand or Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal. More incessant rains, dry spells, and heatwaves are also frequent tags in the reports when the subcontinent is discussed.
What future does the IPCC report predict for the world and what does it mean for India? What action do we need to take?
To understand the report and the climate change warnings it highlights for India, we spoke to the Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at Bharti Institute of Public Policy and the Indian School of Business Anjal Prakash.
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