Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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November 2, 2025 Climate and environment
The 1.5-degree warming threshold will be exceeded within the next decade, meaning more natural disasters and the risk of permanently upsetting the planet's balance. Climate Conferences (COP-30)At the UN News Service's Belém Summit, which will take place in November in Belém, Brazil, Evgenia Kleshcheva spoke with Oksana Tarasova, a senior scientist at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), about global risks and how to respond to the claims of "climate sceptics."
The main cause for concern, which was also mentioned by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the recent WMO Congress, is an excess of 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming compared to the pre-industrial era, as set by the Paris Agreement.
"The threshold is one and a half degrees will be exceeded "Over the next decade, climate action is clearly needed to avoid prolonged temperature increases," Tarasova emphasized.
Adaptation or emission reduction
The Paris Climate Agreement's goal is still achievable, despite short-term overshoots. But this can only happen if all parties take action. to reduce emissions and removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, the expert noted.
UN/E. Hungrecker
Senior Researcher at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Oksana Tarasova.
“At the same time, in the near future, as we exceed one and a half degrees, very significant changes in frequency and intensity are expected extreme weather events" she warned.
This is why early warning systems are especially important for everyone, and the role of meteorological services to preserve life and property will only increase.
“However, it is important to understand: adapt to the future "It will be very difficult. Adaptation and emission reduction must proceed in parallel. It's impossible to choose one direction or the other," the researcher noted.
A vicious circle
WMO scientists are recording record levels of greenhouse gasesThe increase in CO₂ concentrations is particularly alarming.
"Carbon dioxide concentrations have begun to increase at a much faster rate than in the 1990s and 2000s. If we compare the increase in CO₂ in 2024, it is significantly higher than the average for the previous ten years," noted Tarasova, who coordinates the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.
Lok Sujag Pakistan
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has reached new highs.
According to her, the planet is already losing its ability to “self-regulate”: “We see that the Earth system is approaching points at which it passes from one state to anotherThe capacity of forests is decreasing, oceans absorb harmful emissions. If these points are reached, it means that the natural systems that currently absorb half of all emissions will stop doing so."
This creates a vicious circle: the less carbon the Earth absorbs, the climate change is accelerating.
"Once we cross a certain threshold, it's very difficult to go back. For example, if permafrost has thawed, even if we later lower the temperature, it won't recover. This is a process of ecological system formation that takes thousands of years," the WMO specialist explained.
Disinformation and false controversies
Despite the obvious observational data, debate continues in society about the nature of climate changeAccording to the expert, this is largely the result of disinformation and distortions in the media. However, all information disseminated by the agency undergoes a rigorous scientific process, undergoes international discussion, and is published in reputable journals.
"If people lack critical thinking, and one person's opinion is perceived as the same as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which includes 10,000 experts, then that's a question of ethics, not logic," Tarasova said bluntly.
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A WMO employee emphasized that there is no real scientific disagreement: "Surveys have been conducted, and there are, in fact, numerous publications that show that what the public perceives as a lack of consensus is, in fact, completely incorrect. There's one skeptic for every 10,000 scientists who say climate change is happening and caused by human activity. It's just that our media operates on the logic that consensus is uninteresting."
In addition, according to her, certain economic interests fuel doubts"Oil and gas companies are spending huge amounts of money on disinformation campaigns that create the impression that everything is ambiguous."
"Climate is not a belief, it is a measurement."
Tarasova recalled how, at a recent press conference, a journalist asked what to do with those who “don’t believe” in climate change – whose numbers are increasing along the same trajectory as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
"I replied with a smile: 'Who told you that climate change is a religion? People believe in religions. But climate measurements are science. Any skeptic looks at their thermometer every morning before getting dressed and going outside. Don't they trust their thermometer?' But climate measurements are many thermometers, all measuring according to a certain standard," the scientist says.
© Mom/J. Cortes
Destruction after Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica.
She also explained what the key difference is current climate changes From natural fluctuations that have occurred throughout Earth's geological history: "Yes, climate change has occurred. Yes, we've seen 400 parts per billion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And 5 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed our land, during the Jurassic period, the temperature was 2-3 degrees warmer, and sea levels were 10-20 meters higher than they are now. Yes, we've seen glacial transitions, ice ages, and interglacial periods."
According to Tarasova, there is one "small difference." During the transition from an interglacial to an ice age and back, changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were approximately the same as between the start of the Industrial Revolution and modern levels. However, the transition from a glacial to an interglacial occurred over 10,000-15,000 years, while less than 200 years have passed since the Industrial Revolution.
"Do you feel the difference between 200 years and 15,000 years?" the expert notes.
"Every molecule of CO2, methane "Or nitrous oxide, which flies around—it's like a tiny heater. It flies away from Earth, absorbing everything and then re-emitting it. The physics are very simple. The more molecules there are, the more can be absorbed and re-emitted," she added.
KS-30: Hope for collective action
In conclusion, the WMO expert emphasized that the future of the climate depends from the collective efforts of states.
"We see China developing alternative energy, and Europeans introducing laws to regulate emissions. But climate issues aren't being addressed locally. Greenhouse gases are mixing in the global atmosphere and accumulating," Tarasova said.
"Unfortunately, one country or one bloc of countries cannot solve global problems. What's needed is joint global action," she concluded.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.