Earth’s ‘vital signs’ at their worst levels in human history

Even more concerning, it adds, is the fact that many of these catastrophes are hitting communities that have historically contributed the least to climate change.

‘Life on our planet is clearly under siege,’ says Ripple. ‘The statistical trends show deeply alarming patterns of climate-related variables. We also found little progress to report as far as humanity combating climate change.’

Co-author, Thomas Newsome, explains that the trends indicated by the report underline the urgent need to scale up international efforts to combat the environmental emergency.

He stresses that a transition to an economy which priorities human wellbeing and cuts the overconsumption and excessive emissions of the rich is crucial given the top 10% of emitters were responsible for almost 50% of global emissions in 2019.

‘Without actions that address the root problem of humanity taking more from Earth than it can safely give, we’re on our way to the potential collapse of natural and socioeconomic systems and a world with unbearable heat and shortages of food and freshwater,’ says co-author, Dr Christopher Wolf.

His 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.

‘By 2100, as many as 3 billion to 6 billion people may find themselves outside Earth’s liveable regions, meaning they will be encountering severe heat, limited food availability and elevated mortality rates,’ he finishes.

‘Big problems need big solutions. Therefore, we must shift our perspective on the climate emergency from being just an isolated environmental issue to a systemic, existential threat.’