New IPCC Report Finds Oceans and Cryosphere Irreparably Damaged By Climate Crisis

MONACO -- Today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a new Special Report on the Oceans and Cryosphere (SROCC). The report, which comes just after a devastating report last fall from the IPCC on the urgency to act on the climate crisis, found sea level rise and melting ice caused by the climate crisis will be even more dire than originally predicted.

 Among the findings, the report lays out how marine life, oceans, mountains, and glaciers are being irreparably destroyed by the climate crisis and may not fully recover even if all carbon pollution ceased immediately. The findings examine only “likely” amounts of sea level rise, but we still could see a 3.6 foot rise in total sea level by 2100. Even in low emissions scenarios, some major coastal cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, Savannah, Key West, and San Diego, will see 100-year flooding events annually by 2050. The report details that while it may be possible to adapt to rising sea levels if we immediately limit global emissions, we still face a catastrophic future by 2200 and 2300 when ice losses from Greenland and Antarctica could cause sea level rise over 10 feet.

The report also finds that “marine heat waves,” which are directly attributable to the climate crisis and occur when sea temperatures rise above the local 99th percentile of recorded temperatures, will become 20 times as common in the best case scenario, and potentially 50 times as common.

The report’s release follows on the largest global climate strike in history last Friday, with more than 4 million people from around the world calling on world leaders to act on climate.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:

"The alarm clock on the climate crisis went off long ago and it won’t stop ringing. Last fall, scientists made clear what will happen to the world in our lifetimes if we fail to boldly act on climate in the next decade, and today, scientists told the world that homes to millions of people -- in the United States and around the world -- could vanish under feet of water. We cannot hit the snooze button again or allow world leaders to keep their heads in the sand; the seas are rising, and we must act.

“Just a few days ago, more than 4 million people took to the streets demanding action and the chance to enjoy their bright and wonderful futures. World leaders can either ignore them and allow mass devastation to the countries and communities they were elected to lead or they can finally listen and act at the speed science and justice demand.”