greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking the planet, and putting billions of people at immediate risk. it s the most comprehensive climate change study ever, and is produced by hundreds of the world s top scientists from 66 countries. the report warns that the global average temperature rise could reach or exceed 1.5 celsius in the next 20 years ten years sooner than expected. it said rising temperatures will cause more frequent, extreme weather events across the globe, and warned that irreversible changes are already ongoing in melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, and increasing acidification. but the report also stated that climate change could be slowed down with rapid and sustained emission reductions. our science editor david shukman has this report. as the world gets hotter, it s becoming more threatening.
that s how the biggest ever report on climate change is being described by the un secretary general. the study, produced by hundreds of the world s top scientists and signed off by all the world s governments, says it s unequivocal that human activities are responsible for global warming. the report describes an overheating world slipping into crisis with more weather extremes and rising temperatures in the coming years. the government s climate co ordinator alok sharma says the report is a stark warning about the need to cut emissions. here s our energy and environment analyst roger harrabin. sirens. wildfires are blazing through turkey and greece. they re rushing through california, too. in previous years, the panel wouldn t have been confident to blame climate change for the heatwaves behind the fires. not now. it tells us that it is indisputable that human activities are causing
temperatures. and the world s smallest baby more than a year later, this little girl finally leaves hospital here in singapore. live from our studio in singapore. this is bbc news. it s newsday. hello, and welcome. it s 7am in singapore, and midnight in london. global warming is accelerating, and human influence is to blame that s the warning from a damning new report from the un and its secretary general. antonio guterres says the evidence cannot be denied greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking the planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk. it s the most comprehensive climate change study ever, and is produced by hundreds of the world s top scientists from 66 countries.
since 2007. it s based on research by hundreds of the world s top climate scientists. they say it s irrefutable that humans are to blame. robin, with a welcome, can you talk about the differences between this report and the last one published back in 07? absolutely, alex. what s changed is not so much the data itself, besides some small fluctuations. it s largely what climate scientists have been saying for years. what has changed is the level of certainty. in the report they ve said that since the 1950s, the earth has been warming and that s undebatable. but back in 2007, there was only about 90% certainty that was because of human intervention. now it s at about 95%. just to put that into perspective, that s the same level that scientists have certainty that smoking cigarettes can kill you. okay. that is interesting right there. what about this statement that was put out in part here by secretary of state john kerry after he saw the report? once again, the science grows
century. the report is the first since 2007 and is based on research by hundreds of the world s top climate scientists. joining me now is nbc s chief environmental affairs correspondent, anne thompson. anne, secretary of state john kerry released a statement saying that this is yet another wake-up call and that those who deny science or choose excuses over action are playing with fire. do you think that this report will have an impact on policy here or abroad? well, that s certainly what the scientists hope because they say we are on this path of continuing to produce carbon dioxide emissions which are warming the earth and having serious consequences. some of those consequences we re already living with. we have seen less snow and ice cover around the world. that s what the report says. and they say in the northern hemisphere, we can expect even less. we ve seen sea levels rise. and we saw the difference that can make during superstorm sandy, because sea levels had risen a foot in n