What is climate change/climate crisis?
Climate is the average weather in a place over many years. Climate change is a shift in those average conditions.
The rapid climate change we are now seeing is caused by humans using oil, gas and coal for their homes, factories and transport.
When these fossil fuels burn, they release greenhouse gases – mostly carbon dioxide (CO2). These gases trap the Sun’s heat and cause the planet’s temperature to rise.
The world is now about 1.2C warmer than it was in the 19th Century – and the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen by 50%.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. Through its assessments, the IPCC determines the state of knowledge on climate change. It identifies where there is agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change, and where further research is needed. The reports are drafted and reviewed in several stages, thus guaranteeing objectivity and transparency. The IPCC does not conduct its own research. IPCC reports are neutral, policy-relevant but not policy-prescriptive. The assessment reports are a key input into the international negotiations to tackle climate change. Created by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988, the IPCC has 195 Member countries.
2021 IPCC report key points
- Global surface temperature was 1.09C higher in the decade between 2011-2020 than between 1850-1900.
- The past five years have been the hottest on record since 1850
- The recent rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared with 1901-1971
- Human influence is “very likely” (90%) the main driver of the global retreat of glaciers since the 1990s and the decrease in Arctic sea-ice
- It is “virtually certain” that hot extremes including heatwaves have become more frequent and more intense since the 1950s, while cold events have become less frequent and less severe
- 2,400bn tonnes CO2 humans have emitted to date
- 500bn tonnes more would leave only a 50-50 chance of staying under 1.5°C
- 40bn tonnes is roughly the amount of CO2 humanity emits every year
The new report also makes clear that the warming we’ve experienced to date has made changes to many of our planetary support systems that are irreversible on timescales of centuries to millennia.
The oceans will continue to warm and become more acidic. Mountain and polar glaciers will continue melting for decades or centuries. A rise of oceans of around 2m by the end of this century cannot be ruled out – and neither can a 5m rise by 2150.
The consequences of going past 1.5C over a period of years would be unwelcome in a world that has already experienced a rapid uptick in extreme events with a temperature rise since pre-industrial times of 1.1C.
Five climate crisis impacts for the world and Albania:
1. Right now, emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) has led to an increase of 1.1 Celsius relative to 1900. The delayed effects you see this year, are effects of an increase of 1.1C.
2. The recent rate of sea level rise has nearly tripled compared with 1901-1971.
3. 1.5C increase will be reached by 2040 in all scenarios. If emissions aren’t slashed in the next few years, this will happen even earlier.
4. Humanity has emitted so far 2,400bn tonnes of CO2, and the remaining 500bn tonnes more would leave only a 50-50 chance of staying under 1.5°C. Humanity emits every year around 40 bn tonnes of CO2. That means that we have to cut in half our emissions by 2030, and reach net zero emissions within 2050.
5. Humanity can reap quick results in limiting the impact on global heating, by lowering our methane emissions, which are easier to lower. Methane is a GHG gas 80 times more potent than CO2. This would buy time for humanity to lower the CO2 emissions. The main emitters of methane are the oil industry, during drilling, the meat industry/agriculture, and bad waste management. That means, we need to stop letting methane in the air when drilling for oil, but rather capture it and use, lower the meat consumption, and compost all organic waste and not dump it in landfills where it anaerobically decomposes and produces methane.
6. However, the sea level will continue to rise even if we stop all emissions right now. In the longer term, sea level is committed to rise for centuries to millennia due to continuing deep ocean warming and ice sheet melt, and will remain elevated for thousands of years (high confidence). Relative to 1995-2014, the likely global mean sea level rise by 2100 is 0.28-0.55 m under the very low GHG emissions scenario (SSP1-1.9), 0.32-0.62 m under the low GHG emissions scenario (SSP1-2.6), 0.44-0.76 m under the intermediate GHG emissions scenario (SSP2-4.5), and 0.63-1.01 m under the very high GHG emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). What it means, is that most likely, by 2050-2060, Albania would look like the map below. The main Albanian costal cities will be either flooded or surrounded by the sea. We will lose Velipoja, Shengjin, Lezha. Durres, Divjake, and Vlora. The sea level rise is gradual, and it increases during storm events and swelling. Storms are also going to increase under all scenarios in the future years. 
Albania in 2050 with just 0.5 m sea level increase.
Source: UNEP
Source of the three last images: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
What can an individual do?
The largest share of emissions of CO2 and methane in individuals, comes from the food they eat, the way how they move, and everyday consumption.
-Food is the easiest way how you can cut a lot emissions and environmental impact. The more you cut meat consumption, the more you reduce your environmental and climate impact. However, be aware to try to consume locally grown food, or at least, vegetables/food which do not come from hundreds or thousands of km away.
-Second, check how you move. Do you need to take the car even for a distance of 3–4 km, while you can walk or ride a bike? If you definitely need to take a taxi, why don’t you choose an electric one? It is also cheaper than a petrol one. Do you desperately need to fly 10 000 km to go on vacation? Have you explored that mountain that is just 10 km far from your city? Or that valley just behind the mountain? You can even ride a bike to there, or take public transport.
-Third, do you really need everything you buy? Do you really need 20 pairs of trousers? 2–3 would suffice. And if some clothes are broken, it takes minutes to repair them. So, an individual can have a impact on reducing his/her environmental footprint. Think about this sentence “It is just a plastic bottle I am throwing in the river/ocean…. said 7.6 billion people…”
The draft Albanian Green Deal, prepared by IEP with the support of the Minor Foundation for Major Challenges