Data from the report shows record extremes for temperature and ice loss.
A global team of climate scientists has reported that Earth鈥檚 vital signs have worsened beyond anything humans have seen, to the point that life on Earth is imperilled.
In a in Bioscience, the 12 international scientists have shown that 20 of 35 identified planetary are at record extremes. They also outline policies needed to address the underlying issue of 鈥渆cological overshoot鈥.
Among the key numbers in the report:
Dr Thomas 高清福利片ome from the in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney is the only Australian co-author of the study, 鈥淭he 2023 State of the Climate Report: Entering uncharted territory鈥.
He said: 鈥淭he trends indicate the need to drastically speed and scale up efforts globally to combat climate change while more generally reducing our ecological footprint.鈥
Dr Thomas 高清福利片ome in the Central Desert.
Dr 高清福利片ome stressed that all climate-related actions must be grounded in equity and social justice.
鈥淓xtreme weather and other climate impacts are disproportionately felt by the poorest people, who have contributed the least to climate change,鈥 he said.
The report comes four years after the聽鈥淲orld Scientists鈥 Warning of a Climate Emergency鈥聽published by the research team in聽, which was co-signed by more than 15,000 scientists in 161 countries.
Co-lead author William Ripple, a distinguished professor in the Oregon State University College of Forestry, said: 鈥淲ithout actions that address the root problem of humanity taking more from the Earth than it can safely give, we鈥檙e on our way to the potential partial collapse of natural and socioeconomic systems and a world with unbearable heat and shortages of food and freshwater.鈥
The authors share data illustrating how many climate records were broken by enormous margins in 2023, particularly those relating to ocean temperature and sea ice.
鈥淟ife on our planet is clearly under siege,鈥 Professor Ripple said. 鈥淭he statistical trends show deeply alarming patterns of climate-related variables and disasters. We also found little progress to report as far as humanity combating climate change.鈥
Joint lead author Dr Christopher Wolf, now at Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Associates, said: 鈥淎s scientists, we are hugely troubled by the sudden increases in the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters.
鈥淭he frequency and severity of those disasters might be outpacing rising temperatures. By the end of the 21st century, many regions may have severe heat, limited food availability and elevated mortality rates.鈥
Ilulissat in Greenland. Global sea ice extent is at historic lows. Image: Adobe stock
The authors say policies are needed that take aim at the underlying issue of 鈥渆cological overshoot鈥. When human demand on the Earth鈥檚 resources is too large, the result is an array of environmental crises, including biodiversity decline. If humanity continues to put extreme pressure on the planet, any strategy that focuses only on carbon or climate will simply redistribute the pressure, they said.
鈥淥ur goal is to communicate climate facts and make policy recommendations,鈥 Professor Ripple said. 鈥淚t is a moral duty of scientists and our institutions to alert humanity of any potential existential threat and to show leadership in taking action.鈥
The authors urge transitioning to a global economy that prioritises human well-being and curtails overconsumption and excessive emissions by the rich. Specific recommendations include phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, transitioning toward plant-based diets, scaling up forest protection efforts and adopting international coal elimination and fossil fuel non-proliferation treaties.
The CO2聽Foundation and Roger Worthington (Oregon, USA) provided partial funding for this research.