While the first week of July was the hottest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), paleo-climatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte warns of the urgency to act. For her, political leaders must continue to respect their commitments.
“It is possible to act by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors” recalls Valérie Masson-Delmotte Monday morning on franceinfo. The paleo-climatologist and co-chair of the working group on the physical bases of climate at the IPCC believes that it is necessary “based on scientific knowledge” For “anticipating these unprecedented climatic conditions” And “limit breakage”.
>> Heat wave: the northern hemisphere hit by a heat dome
franceinfo: The world had its hottest June on record. So we are not living a normal summer, as the Minister of Agriculture said, which you took up on social networks this weekend?
Valerie Masson-Delmotte: I recalled the factual elements and I think that there is an important responsibility for those who are elected, who have a representation or an important role at the level of the government. Because ultimately, there are the acute aspects of climate change such as the records that mark the spirits. But there are also these chronic, insidious aspects: intense heat, without record; the gradual rise in sea level which is accelerating, we currently have record melting in Greenland. It is important to show where it is possible to act. And it is possible to act by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors.
There are solutions that exist, which need to be applied on a large scale. And it is also possible to act based on this scientific knowledge. Not just where we are today, but on future developments, so as to take this into account for risk management. To anticipate these unprecedented climatic conditions, to live as best as possible and limit damage. I remind you that last year, in the European Union alone, there were 60,000 deaths, and not a single portrait in the media of one of these people: 3/4 of them are over 75 years, many are women.
Is the situation out of control?
No. We currently have an event, El Nino, which, by superimposing the accumulation of heat which is caused by the effects of our greenhouse gas emissions, will lead to heat records which will continue until the end this year, or even next year. And what is important to understand is that the engine of this warming is our greenhouse gas emissions.
The first factor of global warming [climatique], it is the fact of burning coal, oil, fossil gas. And to get rid of it, there is a set of solutions.
Valerie Masson-Delmottefranceinfo
The scientific findings are very clear: new investments in fossil fuels are not compatible with the Paris climate agreement if we are not able – and this is not the case today – to invest enough to capture and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. The first factor of global warming [climatique], it is the fact of burning coal, oil, fossil gas. And to get rid of it, there is a set of solutions. The challenge is to be able to deploy them as quickly as possible.
The government promised us green planning. This is a campaign argument by Emmanuel Macron, stated during the presidential election of 2022. According to you, was this argument only political, or did the President of the Republic set up something that looks like ecological planning?
Yes, this is a point that is extremely important to intelligently build social and economic policies that make it possible to deploy solutions that will make it possible to continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. France can set an example. It has already succeeded in decarbonizing its electricity production and it can build an intelligent strategy, favorable to employment, which makes it possible to adapt while preserving biodiversity.
Last year, on the objectives that France had set for the carbon budget, the High Council for the climate showed that if we take into account the state of the forests, we do not succeed. This shows the importance of changing scale and also putting sufficient resources into budget planning to be able to move more quickly on our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.