Invited by the Orléans Solidaire et Écologique association, the paleoclimatologist, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, hosted a conference on April 24, including the objective was to inform Orleanians about the levers for individual or collective action in the face of climate change. Interview with this leading researcher who was co-president of the IPCC* from 2015 to 2023.
Valérie Masson Delmotte
Comments collected by Philippe Emy
How does climate change occur, and what are the main causes contributing to its acceleration?
Climate change is linked to increased greenhouse gas emissions. It manifests itself through episodes of extreme heat, drought, water shortage, rising sea levels, retreating glaciers, and extreme rain. The rate of warming due to human influence has accelerated over the past decade – 2023 was the hottest year on record – and global greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow. In view of the scientific elements and the IPCC reports on climate change, there would need to be a very sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions between 2019 and 2030 (- 43%) and in global CO emissions.2 reduced to zero around 2050 to limit warming to nearly 1.5°C.
The 2030-2040 decade is critical; we must keep the commitments made during the Paris agreements in 2015.
But how can we achieve this goal in such a short time?
Totally reducing carbon dioxide emissions (fossil fuels and deforestation) would stop global warming. Currently the temperature is increasing by 1.2°c every 10 years, 1.5°c over the next decade, 2.5° to 3°c at the end of the century worldwide. A child born today will be 7 times more exposed to heatwaves than one born in the 1960s. The oceans and seas capture 90% of the excess heat, which increases their volumes and causes coastal erosion.
At the international level, there needs to be mutual trust between different countries on the commitments to be kept when negotiating also with climate-sceptical countries. Europe is at the forefront of climate action. It carries the commitments of the 27 countries with important objectives for 2030 with a variation in each country. Europe is a territory with few fossil fuels but the question of energy sovereignty arises, and dependence on other regions of the world that could weaken our democracies, Russian gas for example.
“10% of the wealthiest are responsible for 30 to 40% of emissions”
You say that controlling global warming is possible provided there is a commitment in the right direction. This mainly involves the involvement of elites on an international scale.
Totally! Because only 10% of the wealthiest are responsible for 30 to 40% of emissions while half of the world’s population accounts for only 15% of emissions. Building a low-carbon economy depends on political powers. Brazil is a good example: under Lula 1, deforestation was slowed but Bolsonaro went back, then Lula 2 put in place the mechanisms to control deforestation which represents 10% of greenhouse gas emissions.
In practice, what concrete actions should be implemented?
The list is not exhaustive. Several areas of action, initiated by policies, are necessary. A component of promoting investment policies by promoting innovations and technological research on carbon sequestration while promoting sobriety (fight against hyper-consumption and obsolescence, waste and water management).
A section on urbanization, in the world a majority of the population lives in cities. The problems of land artificialization and its control linked to different types of town planning arise. If we want to conserve agricultural land, we must conserve soil and forests to store carbon.
Soil waterproofing creates new risks of flooding through rapid runoff in the event of extreme rain, which is not integrated into prevention plans.
Finally, a public health component: encouraging walking and cycling, improving air quality, banning outdoor work in the event of high heat (responsible for numerous deaths during the construction of stadiums in Qatar during the last football World Cup).
Solutions exist to reduce global warming; it is up to politicians to come together quickly to implement them; time is running out.
