The era of climate opportunity

How important is listening to science when facing climate risks: renewable energy, advances in technology, an active financial sector and carbon pricing. It is “A perfect storm of climate opportunity”.

Michael E. Mann, Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, one of the world’s most influential climate scientists and author of the book The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back Our Planet, reveals how to face the “coalition of the unwilling” made up of fossil fuel interests, climate change deniers, conservative media tycoons and petrostate actors.

The science tells us it is not too late to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. There is great urgency to act now to reduce carbon emissions globally by a factor of two within the next decade if we are to avert a truly dangerous interference with our climate.
Michael E. Mann

Today it is not possible anymore to deny that climate change is happening, because we are seeing the impacts. But the “forces of inaction” haven’t given up, they have changed their tactics. They’ve moved from the “old climate war”, which was an effort to discredit the scientific evidence and the scientists, to what I call the “new climate war”, a new array of tactics – including soft denial and efforts to delay action – that are still aimed at keeping us addicted to fossil fuels.

Michael E. Mann

The live streaming event was part of the series Seeds. Words that feed the future for the CMCC Climate Change Communication Award “Rebecca Ballestra”.

Share

Article

The lessons of yesterday, the tasks of tomorrow: 10 climate science insights

Are we going beyond the limit of adaptation and crossing irreversible tipping points? What do we know about the triple planetary crisis, the social costs of climate extremes, vulnerability and the myth of endless adaptation? A list of the ten new insights in climate science puts together advancements, challenges and solutions to shape future strategies and activities.

Article

Olympics for climate action

The United Nations have long recognized that sport can help promote sustainable development. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics currently underway, organizers have seized the opportunity to showcase how the sporting world can be sustainable, setting the bar for future Olympics and sporting events.

COP16
Article

COP16 in Rome: Bridging the biodiversity finance gap

The COP16 on Biological Diversity reconvened at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Rome between 25 and 27 February, providing a critical juncture for global biodiversity conservation and the role of science in informing international negotiations. “Until we establish governance that treats climate and biodiversity as two sides of the same crisis, we will continue to fail in finding effective solutions,” says CMCC researcher Cristina Cipriano, who participated in the proceedings as coordinator of the European Regional Chapter and the Italian National Chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network.