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Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA‑UAB)

Latest IPCC report and ICTA-UAB's commitment 

08 Apr 2022
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report is very clear in its conclusions: without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach.

IPCC ICTA-UAB Commitment

The document refers to scientific studies carried out by ICTA-UAB authors and cites them

This alarming conclusion is based on the fact that in the period 2010-2019, average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history.  

However, the rate of growth in emissions has slowed and there is increasing evidence of climate action. Since 2010, there have been sustained decreases of up to 85% in the costs of solar and wind energy, and batteries, energy efficiency has been enhanced, deforestation rates have been reduced and the deployment of renewable energy has been accelerated. 

The report, carried out by authors from 65 countries, bases its conclusions on previous studies by scientists from around the world. In this sense, the document refers to scientific studies by ICTA-UAB and cites authors such as Isabelle Anguelovski, Laura Calvet-Mir, Esteve Corbera, Xavier Gabarrell, Jason Hickel, Giorgos Kallis, Joan Martínez-Alier, Anna Petit-Boix, Joan Rieradevall, Martí Rufí-Salís, Laura Talens, Jeroen van den Bergh and Gara Villalba.  

The document focuses on the climate actions taken in many countries and those that should be adopted in the coming years. There are policies, regulations and market instruments that are proving effective and can support deep emission reductions and stimulate innovation.   

Limiting global warming will require major transitions in the energy sector. This will involve a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen). Authors highlight the need for right policies, infrastructure and technology in place to enable changes in our lifestyles and behaviours by 2050 in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40-70%. This offers significant untapped potential.  

Cities also offer significant opportunities for emissions reductions through lower energy consumption (such as by creating compact, walkable cities), electrification of transport in combination with low-emission energy sources, and enhanced carbon uptake and storage using nature. Examples includes zero energy or zero-carbon buildings in almost all climates. Industry will need to use materials more efficiently, reusing and recycling products and minimising waste. 

ICTA-UAB's commitment

To contribute to this change, ICTA-UAB undertakes advanced research to improve understanding of global environmental change, the nature and causes of environmental problems, and to encourage the transition to a sustainable economy. In recent years, ICTA-UAB has also taken concrete actions. Following the organisation of a fully online scientific symposium on how to promote new low-carbon lifestyles, a responsible travel strategy has been designed to encourage our researchers to reduce the environmental impact of their scientific travel. In this sense, more and more ICTA-UAB scientists are using cleaner means of transport.

Furthermore, the ICTA-UAB building is, in fact, an emblematic building on the UAB campus that meets high energy-efficiency standards. At the beginning of their scientific project, pre-doctoral researchers must present an environmental impact assessment of the actions they are going to develop. 

 

 

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