The world remains significantly off course in combating the climate crisis, according to a United Nations report released on Wednesday. However, the UN expressed optimism that artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies could help address these critical challenges.
The United in Science report, coordinated by the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), warned that global efforts to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement — which aims to limit global temperature increases to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — are faltering. The consequences could be devastating.
Greenhouse gas concentrations have surged to record highs, pushing temperatures further upwards, the report noted. “The science is clear: We are far off track from achieving global climate goals,” said WMO chief Celeste Saulo during a press briefing in Geneva.
The report forecasted a two-thirds chance that global warming could hit 3°C by the end of this century if current policies remain unchanged. Saulo pointed out that 2023 was already the hottest year on record by a huge margin.
Despite these grim findings, Saulo insisted that there is hope, highlighting the role of technological innovations such as AI, which could revolutionise weather forecasting and provide society with better tools for climate change adaptation.
The report outlined how AI and machine learning could dramatically improve the ability to process large amounts of climate data, making weather modeling faster, cheaper, and more accurate. This could lead to significant advancements in predicting extreme weather events, enabling communities to better prepare and respond.
The report also noted the role of satellite technologies in advancing the understanding of environmental patterns, helping predict extreme weather even in remote regions.
However, the WMO cautioned that while new technologies could be transformative, they must be regulated to avoid unintended negative impacts, such as increased energy consumption.
The report comes just days before the UN Summit of the Future, showing the urgent need for global cooperation to address the mounting climate crisis.