What is the IPCC?

In September 2019, the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate was published. Scientists analysed climate change in relation to the ocean, including ocean warming, the link between climate change and the Southern Ocean, rising sea levels, extreme events and deoxygenation of marine waters.

The global warming resulting from the increase in greenhouse gas emissions linked to human activities is causing clear and sometimes irreversible changes on the scale of human societies, ocean environments and the cryosphere. The impact of these changes will be felt from the peaks of the highest mountains to the greatest depths of the oceans, leading to unprecedented changes in living conditions and risks to living organisms, ecosystems and human communities.

The ocean has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat and about 30% of the CO2 emissions from human activities, thereby limiting the magnitude of the temperature rise in the atmosphere. However, it is affected by a constant rise in seawater temperature, acidification and deoxygenation of the ocean, as well as a decline in ice and frozen land.

In 2007, the IPCC received the Nobel Peace Prize for its work, acknowledging the importance of advancing and disseminating knowledge about human-induced climate change. This knowledge leads to policies being introduced to limit and counteract the effects of global warming. Preserving the climate also means preserving peace throughout the world.

• The rate at which the ocean is getting warmer is accelerating. This is causing oceanic heat waves that have a major impact on marine biodiversity.
• Sea levels are rising faster than earlier predictions. By the end of the century, it could increase by 1.5 cm per year with a global rise of 110 cm.
• The ocean is losing oxygen, which could lead to a 15% loss in global marine animal biomass by 2100.