IPCC WG2 Climate Report

The IPCC WG2 Climate Report published today is the most precise and up to date global assessment of impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change available at this time.  270 authors from 67 countries contributed to this assessment. 

Sea level rise represents a major threat for coastal communities, infrastructure and ecosystems during the 21st century and beyond. Thus, adaptation to sea level rise is one of the challenges addressed in this report. 

The sea-level projections delivered in July 2021 by WG1 are a major step forward. These projections are extended from 2100 to 2150 and they provide a quantitative estimate of a low-likelihood / high impact sea-level rise involving large ice mass losses in Antarctica and Greenland. Our sister project Protect Slr contributed to this assessment through new projections of ice mass losses.

Authoritative climate services will be needed to support adaptation: CoCliCo Services aims at developing a core service for coastal adaptation to sea level rise in Europe, in close cooperation with Copernicus Marine Service.

Adaptation alone will not be sufficient: urgent mitigation of climate change is needed to reduce sea level rise rates and give more time for adaptation planning and implementation, as well as to coastal ecosystems to migrate landward.