2021: The Year In Climate

 

2021 was a busy year in climate, as events rescheduled from 2020 finally took place. The year was also part of the warmest seven years streak and emissions continued to rise as economies resumed in full swing.

 January 2021 tied with January 2018 as the sixth warmest, coming in at 0.24 degrees above the 1991-2020 average. This was according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Holland convened a virtual climate adaptation summit attended by different stakeholders to discuss adaptation and creating a climate resilient future. The result was the adaptation action agenda, meant to put the focus of climate action on adaptation. Intense snowstorms pelted Spain, while the UK was hit by record rain. Cyclone Ana wreaked havoc in Fiji.

February recorded the lowest temperatures globally in 6 years. In the same month, UN Climate Change launched a report that showed that the world was still off track in terms of ambition to cut emissions to match the 1.5 temperature goal this century. Notably, more ambitious climate plans are needed. Texas was hit by a very cold wave, with very low temperatures causing the death of over a hundred people and cutting off power. East Africa, particularly Kenya, faced an invasion of desert locusts, whose appearance was accelerated by climate change caused humid and hot weather. These waves of locusts settled on farms and any greenery causing economic losses and impacting food security.

March 2021 was 0.2 degrees higher than the 1991-2020 average. It was number 8 in terms of temperatures since 2010. Climate activists and youth all over the world held climate strikes and continued to promote their agenda on social media, agitating for real climate action on the ground, and not just promises and pledges. China was hit by a huge sandstorm, the skies turned orange and people tried all means to protect themselves.

April was ushered in by the Leaders Climate Summit held virtually by the US administration. President Joe Biden said that US greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 50-52% relative to 2005 by the end of this decade. Japan pledged to cut emissions by 46% by 2030 compared to 2013. India reiterated its commitment to increase renewables capacity by 450 gigawatts by end of decade. Russia asked for a worldwide cut in methane emissions. China pledged to reach net zero by 2060 while the UK wanted to cut emissions by 78% by 2035. In the same month, cyclone Seroja hit Indonesia. Earth Day was on April 22^nd and the theme was ‘Restore Our Earth.’

May 2021 was 0.26 degrees higher than the 1991-2020 average. On the 3^rd day, the G7 conference was held in the United Kingdom and one of the topics was climate change. Ethiopia announced its intention to plant 6 million trees when the rains came. The International Energy Agency released a detailed report showing the path to be taken to achieve carbon neutrality in the energy sector by the half century mark. On the 20^th of the month a huge iceberg broke off in Antarctica while Madagascar grappled with a climate change influenced famine. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization noted that the world was inching closer to reaching the yearly average of 1.5 degrees temperature rise.

The halfway mark of the year, June, came in number five after 2015 as the fifth warmest in 142 years. This was announced by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. The UNFCCC held a first of its kind virtual climate conference convened by its subsidiary bodies. A number of countries submitted updated NDCs during the event. Sadly, record breaking deforestation continued in the Amazon forest. In this month, global leaders called for unity in order act and reverse the impacts of climate change. Libya added its signature to the signatories of the Paris Agreement and Canada, Mexico and the US were hit by record heat waves; taking the lives of over 500 people in Canada. On a positive note, Rwanda decided to put more electric bikes on its roads in place of fossil fuel driven cars.

NOAA declared July 2021 as the hottest on record, being 0.93 degrees above the 20^th century mean. Germany and Belgium were hit by devastating floods, while Italy faced wildfires. Both were linked to climate change. China was inundated by massive rainfall as well, causing billions in losses.

The following month, August, was the sixth warmest in 142 years. The group of scientists forming the IPCC released a report; the Physical Science Basis report which showed that at current rates, the 1.5 degrees threshold will be met in 20 years and even outdone. It noted that the planet will experience more heat waves, extended hot seasons and smaller cold seasons. There would be more floods and droughts, higher sea level rise and increased permafrost thaw.

September 2021 began with Hurricane Ida bringing heavy rain and destruction to New York and New Jersey such that a state of emergency was declared in New York City. The system further spawned 37 tornadoes which went on to cause more harm and destruction. In Africa, reforestation efforts for the Kilimanjaro were in earnest. The mountain is the tallest in Africa and is very important for tourism and biodiversity. Argentina hosted the online Latin America Summit on climate change while Harvard University bowed to pressure and decided to divest from fossil fuels. It was in this month that WMO noted that climate events that happen naturally could now be traced back directly to anthropogenic climate change. In other words, human activities that cause climate change are now triggering events that used to occur because of natural stimuli. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development released figures that show that climate finance marshalled by the developed world totaled to $79.6 billion, which is still significantly lower than the 100 billion per year agreed upon by all nations. The annual UN General Assembly was held in September in New York where China announced it would stop building new coal plants abroad.

October 2021 commenced with the Africa Climate Week, held virtually by Uganda and supported by the UN. It was noted that more of climate finance needs to be released and more focus on adaptation generated. Africa is responsible for less than 3% of emissions but due to its geographical location, lying mostly between the tropics, it is faced by strong impacts of climate change. This means that while mitigation is important, adaptation is also crucial, as the warming climate affects the natural and human world variously.

African leaders also asked for a new system of tracking climate finance remitted to the developing world.

In the month of October, the WMO released a climate report, this time on Africa, whose conclusions were as follows: a higher rise in temperatures over Africa than the global mean. Higher sea level rise and more extreme weather in terms of floods and droughts. The WMO head also noted that the three glaciated areas in Africa, the tops of Mt Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Ruwenzori mountains in Uganda were faced by loss of ice as temperatures continue to rise. These glaciers, found in the tropics, are already losing mass because of climate change. In fact, total loss of glaciers is expected to take place by the 2040s. This is critical because these mountains are big tourist attractions, and they host a very wide array of biologically important biodiversity. There was also quite a number of solutions through climate action.

In this month Kenya took over the leadership of the UN Security Council and championed for drastic action regarding climate change and security especially in Africa. President Uhuru would continue with this message during COP26.

At the tail end of October, WMO released the State of the Global Climate report 2021. Among its conclusions, the publication noted that both the rates of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as global sea level rise reached record levels in 2021. It also said that the rates of warming and loss of glaciers continued upwards, as heat waves affected the US, Greenland and Antarctica. In fact, Greenland received rain instead of snow for the first time at the Summit station which is the highest altitude on the Greenland ice sheet.

The annual conference of parties to the UNFCCC, COP 26 was also held in this month, taking place in Glasgow Scotland. The talks concluded with the formation of the Glasgow Pact, which aims to keep the 1.5 degrees threshold alive albeit with some difficulty. Some of the results of the summit was a joint mitigation agreement by China and the USA, who are the two largest national emitters of greenhouse gases. 145 countries together accounting for 91% of global forests decided to reverse deforestation and stop land degradation. There was a deal on methane also, with well over 100 national entities agreeing to cut CH4 emissions by 30% by 2030.

However, the pact noted that because the current pledges lead us to a path of 2.4 degrees warming, countries need to return in 2022 with stronger more ambitious pledges if we are to limit warming this century below 1.5 degrees.

COP 26 ended on 12^th November to mixed reactions. In 2022, a lot is expected to happen, from more impacts of climate change to COP 27 which will be held in Egypt. The IPCC will also release the last of its 6^th Assessment Report.