UN climate summit: “Huge tasks for the coming decades”

CO2, methane and nitrogen oxide emissions must be reduced in order to give climate protection a chance. But the topic should also become more important in schools, says climate researcher Pörtner. He is at the COP27 for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

tagesschau.de: Mr. Pörtner, how do you perceive the atmosphere at the climate conference at the moment?

Hans Otto Pörtner: So I would say the mood is wait and see. There are various currents that play a role in the discussions. These currents are not new in themselves. There are developing countries that are particularly vulnerable, which of course are also urging action. And the theme of this conference is implementation. The aim is to close the implementation gap in the area of ​​adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

tagesschau.de: When you say success what do you mean?

Porter: Of course, success means success for everyone, because we scientists are ultimately also citizens of this earth. Success must mean that we meet the climate targets and that we actually meet and precisely comply with the climate issues set by science. This is an existential challenge for humanity. And there really aren’t any alternatives. And anyone who thinks they have alternatives by sticking to old economic models is making a mistake. In the end, he will ultimately lose prosperity and viability along with everyone else.

1.5 degree target for moderate risks

tagesschau.de: What do we have to achieve in order to somehow turn things around and really achieve this 1.5 degree goal?

Porter: Well, first of all, the emission values ​​have to be complied with, which means that the CO2, methane and nitrogen oxide emissions have to go down and the systems that are involved in these emissions have to undergo a transformation. And ultimately, with a view to the way of life, to consumption, society must undergo a transformation in which everyone is taken along in full. Of course, that sounds pretty unrealistic now, but that has to be the goal for the coming decades. And we must have made a good step on this path by 2030 in order to meet this goal.

In Working Group II of the IPCC, we carried out a risk assessment across many systems and sectors. And the message is actually very clear that at 1.5 degrees warming we are still able to moderate risk levels for many areas. However, not for everyone: We will have damage, we will also have damage to our health. It will not be a better world that we are going to with climate change. But then we still have many options available to adapt and try out new economic models. We just have to take a holistic approach.

We need a social mobilization that has it all. We’ve waited so long that now we don’t have time to compromise anywhere in the wrong direction. The current crisis shows us once again that it can happen that you have to make compromises in the wrong direction when you find yourself in an emergency situation. And we absolutely have to avoid that for the future by being really confident in planning the mobilization and in the implementation.

“Some things will be uncomfortable”

tagesschau.de: In February there was the last IPCC report from your working group, in which many risks of a hotter world were named. Wasn’t that warning loud enough? Can’t see the urgency?

Porter: The effect in politics often lies in the repetition of these clear statements about where the need for action lies, where the lack of time is particularly great. And I think that with the effort to keep warming to 1.5 degrees comes the prospect that we will be able to adapt in many areas. Some things will become uncomfortable and some changes will become uncomfortable. But it’s a positive perspective. The worst perspective is to carry on as before and not do enough.

tagesschau.de: As a climate scientist, do you ever get to the point where you say, “Now I’m a little bit frustrated or disappointed?”

Porter: I’m impatient with the implementation, but I’m not actually frustrated, because I think science has succeeded in developing a very clear picture of the future and of the needs. And we now see the difficulties in implementation. In fact, these difficulties are also linked to social science issues. I took so much with me from this process and learned so much that as a scientist it is initially satisfying. Of course, one also wants these clear insights to be reflected in politics.

Educational initiative for the fight against climate change

tagesschau.de: How can that succeed?

Porter: We will not stop bringing the messages into society and into politics. Above all, what has now been added in terms of knowledge and solutions. I am thinking, for example, of our concept of climate resilience, where we brought together mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development. We will not stop bringing this into society and politicians should take this up and ultimately also implement it in an educational initiative that reaches all social strata across the board.

This must become a key issue in schools and a key issue in universities. When I say this, it means preserving the natural basis of life, protecting biodiversity and solving the climate problem. Because all these things belong together and none of these things can be solved on their own.

System transitions towards sustainability

tagesschau.de: If you could now draw up a catalog with demands on politicians, which of the basic goals could be implemented immediately?

Porter: This question comes up very often and this question is not easy to answer, because we need a holistic change. We have defined five system transitions affecting society, dealing with ecosystems, affecting industry and affecting infrastructure. And in all these areas there must be transitions that lead us towards sustainability.

And the excessive use of resources must be switched to sustainable use of resources. All of these are huge tasks for the coming decades. And I think that’s why I emphasized the area of ​​education and science, because this requires a broad social decision-making process that also includes politics and in which politics feels authorized to proceed accordingly. That’s the holistic picture, I think.

Of course there are short-term measures. We should reap the low-hanging fruits like speed limits and so on, but we should also stop subsidizing the use of fossil fuels. All subsidies should be redirected towards renewables. All of this is easier said than done. I am aware of that. But I’ll say it again clearly: there is actually no alternative to a sustainable and liveable future for mankind.