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WMO Press Conference: United in Science 2024 report - 18 September 2024
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WMO Press Conference: 'United in Science' 2024 report - 18 September 2024
Story: “'United in Science' report - WMO” – 18 September 2024
Speakers:
- Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Lauren Stuart, scientific coordinator at the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
TRT: 02’26”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 18 September 2024 - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
Geneva Press briefing
SHOTLIST
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley.
- Wide shot of the press conference room with speakers at the podium.
- SOUNDBITE (English) Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The science is clear: we are far off track from achieving global climate goals. 2023 was the warmest year on record by a huge margin. Leading international data sets say that the first eight months of 2024 are also the warmest on record.”
- Medium shot of the podium with speakers.
- SOUNDBITE (English) Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General: “When the Paris Agreement was adopted, greenhouse gas emissions were projected to increase by 16 per cent by 2030 relatively to 2015. Now, that projected increase is three per cent. So, progress has been made, but we need to be much more ambitious. The gap between aspiration and reality is a glaring one.”
- Medium shot of the speakers from the back and press conference room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) Lauren Stuart, scientific coordinator at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Satellites are improving our ability to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial for informing our efforts to mitigate emissions and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Another example we highlight is immersive technologies, which are really bridging the digital and the physical worlds. And an example of this is what we call ‘digital twins’, which is basically a digital replication of the earth.”
- Wide lateral shot: journalists at the press conference room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General: “I do trust in governments. I do trust in multilateralism. I do trust in the Summit of the Future and how this will help us address, use the technology for the better while controlling the negative impacts of technology.”
- Wide shot of the press conference room.
- SOUNDBITE (English) Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General: “Science should not be kept in a box for a few of us. Science should be the driving mechanism all around the world to really transform and give more opportunities for the generations to come.”
- Various shots of the press conference room with journalists taking notes and cameraperson.
Climate crisis: New technologies offer hope for global action, says UN weather agency
Amid renewed warnings from leading climate scientists that global warming could reach 3°C above pre-industrial levels this century, the head of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) insisted on Wednesday that new technologies and AI offer the opportunity to implement the drastic action needed to resist the existential crisis.
“The science is clear: we are far off track from achieving global climate goals,” said Celeste Saulo, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, she noted that 2023 was the warmest year on record “by a huge margin. Leading international data sets say that the first eight months of 2024 are also the warmest on record.”
Ms. Saulo’s warning coincided with the publication of the latest multi-agency United in Science annual report. Its release comes as huge wildfires rage across Latin America and Portugal, while central European countries battle deadly flooding in the wake of Storm Boris, with Italy now on high alert following mass evacuations in Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Romania.
Despite progress made in mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions, “the emissions gap remains high”, the WMO-partnered report notes. It further warns that if there is no change to current policies, there is a 66 per cent probability that global warming will reach 3°C this century.
Despite the troubling clarity of science, the report offers grounds for hope. “When the Paris Agreement was adopted, greenhouse gas emissions were projected to increase by 16 per cent by 2030, relatively to 2015,” explained the WMO chief. “Now, that projected increase is three per cent. So, progress has been made, but we need to be much more ambitious. The gap between aspiration and reality is a glaring one.”
New technologies and innovation are potential game-changers
In a call for global and urgent action coinciding with the upcoming Summit of the Future at UN headquarters in New York on 22-23 September, the UN weather agency underscored the untapped potential of natural and social sciences, new technology and innovation to help countries develop, reduce their vulnerability to disaster and adapt to climate change.
Space-based Earth observations are part of the solutions highlighted in the report, as they are crucial for effective weather forecasting, climate prediction and environmental monitoring. “Satellites are improving our ability to monitor greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial for informing our efforts to mitigate emissions and to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement,” explained Lauren Stuart, scientific coordinator at WMO.
Another example is “immersive technologies, which are bridging the digital and the physical worlds. And an example of this is what we call ‘digital twins’, which is basically a digital replication of the Earth.” Digital twins create a virtual real-world system to simulate how reality would respond in any given situation. The metaverse gather virtual worlds into an “integrative system” that provides immersive experiences from simulating flood and drought events to predicting water flow and impacts on land. These technologies enable experts to take decisions towards achieving the universally agreed Sustainable Development Goals.
Ms. Saulo insisted that technology alone will not be enough to solve climate change and disaster risk reduction as she urged all countries to share their expertise and experiences at the Summit of the Future. “I do trust in governments. I do trust in multilateralism. I do trust in the Summit of the Future and how this will help us address, use the technology for the better while controlling the negative impacts of technology,” she emphasized.
The UN weather agency chief underscored the need for a “transdisciplinary approach”, where a diversity of actors including scientists, policymakers, indigenous communities and civil society groups create solutions together. “Science should not be kept in a box for a few of us. Science should be the driving mechanism all around the world to really transform and give more opportunities for the generations to come.”
Ends.
Teleprompter
Good morning, everybody.
Thank you for joining us today. The
World Meteorological Organisation is releasing
a
multi agency report called United in Science.
It's a report that we release every year
with many different partners ahead of the
high level session of the UN General Assembly
and as its title would suggest it does. We are united in our science.
Hence this report
just a couple of housekeeping issues.
The embargo has been lifted on this report 30 minutes ago, so you're free to
report on it. We sent you out the press release.
It's available in all languages. There are, in addition digital assets.
You should if you should need them.
So without any further ado, I will pass the floor to
the World Meteorological Organisation Secretary General Professor Celeste
Saulo, who will have a few words for you.
And then for the more detailed presentation of the report, I'll hand over to
Lauren Stewart,
who works in the W
Science and Innovation Division, and she's the co ordinator of this report, which,
as I said, has many, many partners.
So W
co ordinates it, but we do thank our many partners for its contributions. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Claire. Thank you, colleagues for being here. Good day.
Good morning.
Uh, it's my pleasure to be here today, Uh, for the release of this report,
United in Science 2024 is a compilation of the latest weather, climate,
water and related environmental and social sciences.
WMO publishes this report every year
for the UN General Assembly high level session.
It is compiled by a consortium of UN agencies,
meteorological organisations and scientific and research bodies,
and embraces input from young people and early career
scientists who are agents of change for the future.
This year,
United in Science has a special focus on the summit of the future,
which provides a once in a generation opportunity to get back on
track to achieve global goals and a better world for all.
Summit of the future. Decisions represent the choice between
breakthrough
or breakdown,
the science as usual.
The report contains a section on climate science and the science is clear.
We are far off track from achieving global climate goals.
2023 was the warmest year on record by a huge margin.
Leading international data sets say
that the first eight months of 2024 are also
the warmest on record.
There is an 80% chance that the
global linear surface temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5
degrees above pre industrial levels at least one of the next five calendar years.
When the Paris agreement was adopted,
greenhouse gases emissions were projected to increase by 16% by 2030
relatively to 2015.
Now
that projected increase is 3%.
So
progress has been made.
But we need to be much more ambitious.
The gap between aspirations and reality is a clearing one.
Under current policies,
there is a two thirds likelihood of global warming of three degrees this century.
Even at existing levels of warming,
we are seeing increasingly destructive weather patterns as witnessed by
extreme heat and flooding we have seen in recent months.
The climate crisis is worsening the inequality crisis.
Once again, we are sounding the red alert for the planet.
But there is hope
We have to have hope for the sake of future generations.
The report highlights how advances in natural and social sciences,
new technologies and innovation
enhance our understanding of the earth system.
They could be game changers for climate change, adaptation,
disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
We need transdisciplinary approaches which unite
diverse actors such as scientists,
policy makers, practitioners and civil society,
including local and indigenous communities.
We need to embrace the tremendous accumulated wisdom of traditional knowledge
and leverage the power of innovation.
We need to break down silence and think out of the box.
We need to rethink and reboot our actions. I thank you very much.
Thank you, Professor
Solo,
I'll now hand the floor to Lauren Stewart and then
at the end of that we will take questions.
Thank you.
Thank you, Claire.
as Celeste mentioned the report this year is aligned
with the themes of the Summit of the future.
And
the goal of the report is really to highlight how incredible advances in weather,
climate,
water and related environmental and social sciences
can help us achieve global goals.
So, for example,
the report highlights how artificial intelligence and machine learning
are completely revolutionising how we forecast the weather,
which is really, really exciting.
It offers a lot of potential possibilities to make weather modelling cheaper,
faster and ultimately more accessible to developing
countries who might not have the resources,
the capacity or the computational abilities right now to use
what are now considered traditional numerical weather prediction models.
Another example that is highlighted in the report is
the incredible advances in space based Earth observations.
Um, and this has really opened new frontiers in weather, climate,
water and environmental applications.
For example, satellite technologies are improving our ability to
forecast extreme weather events,
particularly in regions where that has been quite challenging.
For example, in regions that are maybe mountainous with difficult terrain,
and also in places that lack the ground
based observations that are essential for forecasting,
satellites are able to now complement that.
Another example is how satellites are improving
our ability to monitor greenhouse gas emissions,
which is crucial for informing our efforts to mitigate emissions
and to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement.
Another example we highlight is immersive technologies,
which are really bridging the digital and the physical worlds,
and an example of this is what we call digital twins,
which is basically a digital replication of the earth.
And we're seeing this being implemented in really innovative ways, um,
for example, to replicate how floods and droughts might impact communities
and this therefore improves our decision making and can
enhance land and water management to support global goals.
And the report highlights a lot of really exciting examples like this, um,
in a I immersive technologies and space based obser
observations.
But I think one of the most important messages that we try to get
across is that we can't achieve the global goals with science and technology alone.
And the report highlights that we should be embracing
transdisciplinary approaches in order to co create solutions.
Now Transdisciplinary is, I think, a new concept for a lot of people.
And frankly, it was quite new for WMO to be focusing on this in one of our reports.
But it's really important,
and basically what it is is it is a method that brings together
a lot of diverse actors from different
disciplines and encourages them to work together
to co create solutions. And this is much easier said than done.
I think in many cases, um, it requires, I think,
really thinking outside of the box and being
open and and brave enough to really embrace
um completely new and different perspectives and, um,
experiences and knowledge in order to find solutions to these challenges.
But if we're able to embrace these approaches and and use them appropriately, um,
they offer a lot of opportunities to enhance weather, water,
climate and environmental sciences and services.
Um, for example,
by in in increasing trust in institutions such
as the National Hydrological and Meteorological Services,
it can also increase resilience of local communities by
engaging them in these processes from the beginning.
So, as I said, the the report highlights a lot of these, um,
examples on how we can achieve the global goals.
But we we conclude with a chapter on the UN early warnings for all initiative.
And we did this kind of strategically because
we feel that this initiative is a really good example of how we can bring together
all of these topics in the report and actually put them into action
to save lives through early warning systems.
For example, advances in artificial intelligence, um,
are improving our ability to process really large
amounts of information and data and satellite imagery,
and this can help improve our ability, um, to effectively communicate risk
and virtual reality is being used to simulate what a flood might look like,
for example,
and this can support anticipatory action and help communities be better.
informed for how to actually respond to the early warnings when they're received.
And transdisciplinary approaches are also crucial because this can help
ensure that local communities are engaged from the beginning and
that early warnings are really tailored to their local context
so that they can be applied in an effective way.
And so,
by harnessing these advancements in natural and social sciences and technology,
we can really scale up our efforts to achieve the early warnings for all
and, um, deliver these life saving early warnings to communities across the world.
And so, while the report highlights all of these amazing opportunities,
it also addresses some of the gaps and challenges that we face, Um,
that potentially limit, uh, the potential of these, um, advances.
So, for example, data is a huge challenge.
Still,
data quality data access data availability is a significant barrier to actually,
a achieve many of these scientific and technological breakthroughs in practise.
Additionally,
governance challenges and limited resources and inadequate capacity
to actually utilise the science and technology,
um is a significant challenge as well.
And as a result, uh,
these gaps and challenges risk further exacerbating the global digital
divide if we're not able to address them effectively.
But in summary, as we look to the future,
collaboration will be absolutely essential to address these challenges.
And the report does have a few recommendations
for how we can address them moving forward,
Um, including enhancing data
data, quality, availability and use
as well as boosting investments, Um,
and also access to emerging science and technology.
And finally, we should also scale up education,
training and capacity development, particularly in lower income countries.
And also, I think, particularly in the area of transdisciplinary approaches.
Um, because, like I said earlier,
we cannot address these global challenges with one discipline alone.
But ultimately,
the key message of the report is that we're delivering some good news.
We we do have the tools we have the science, technology and approaches
to achieve the global goals.
But in order to do so, we need to work together to address these gaps and challenges.
and make sure that the benefits of the science and technology is accessible
to all to ensure that we have a better future for everyone.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. With that we will go to questions. So if there's
any questions in the room, raise your hand. If not, I'll go to the
OK. So, Nina,
if you could just introduce yourself. So thank you.
Thanks.
Nina Larson, the FP.
I had a couple of questions I was wondering,
on the issue of artificial intelligence.
There's also been warnings about how,
um, it uses enormous amounts of energy.
So it has, you know, the ne negative effects if you could, uh,
talk a little bit about balancing
that out and also a little bit more about, um,
you know is do you think that artificial intelligence and and machine learning
could truly be like a game changer in this in this sense or, um,
yeah, sort of. If you could say a little bit more about that
and then about the upcoming cop, I was just wondering if you had any, uh,
thoughts about the the financing, uh,
deal And how likely you think that is to succeed.
Thank you.
So I will address your question on a I, which is a a great question.
And and you're right.
Um, you know, a I does offer incredible, um,
possibilities and and opportunities moving forward.
But
we also have a lot to learn still about it in
order to apply it in ways that are ethical and appropriate.
I think,
and this field is moving so fast, sometimes it's it's hard to keep up.
Um, just with all of the advancements that we're seeing
but in terms of, you know, just the amount of of energy that it takes, Um,
and also the computational power
it it really is significant.
And although it can make weather forecasting more
accessible by reducing some of those burdens,
there is still a burden as far as energy and computational resources.
And so it's not a perfect solution by any means.
But I think it does hold a lot of potential.
And with so much research being done in this field, um,
I do think it can be a game changer in the way that we we do,
forecast the weather moving forward and in making that more accessible,
thank you very much for your question, I will address the the one facing cop.
Uh, certainly, uh, of course,
we are all concerned about how we get enough funding for for the just transition
and and in particular as the report highlights
how we can really deliver on better early warning systems, for example.
So we do have expectations.
And this report also he helps to highlight the importance of funding.
So,
uh, it's also the report is also providing, um, another perspective
from the scientific point of view why we need that funding
and and how that funding would really help, uh, develop these tools.
So, uh, yes, we are. We are going to, uh, cope with lots of expectations as usual.
We know that countries will debate a lot,
but we need to provide concrete
ways forward.
And this is about this report is about concrete ways forward.
So where you put the money, you get
something concrete for the benefit of the countries.
And I would like to highlight that. Thank you.
OK,
next question is from the platform Bianca
of Global TV, Brazil. Bianca.
Hi. Good morning, everyone. Thanks a lot.
Yeah, The The report mentions that in the first semester in Brazil, the state of Hi
Grande do so
experienced the most severe floods ever recorded.
And now, in Brazil, there are many areas that are being ravaged by fire
so we can see smoke over the skies, even in like above big cities,
including Sao Paulo.
How likely is that?
The extent of cease fire in Brazil is also a consequence of climate change.
In which extent can the climate change
crisis be also responsible for this extreme event?
How concerned are you with the disasters we have seen recently in Brazil?
And finally,
what message
would you like to send to the Brazilian authorities, the Brazilian government,
but also to Brazilian citizens in the sense of becoming more aware of the problem?
Thanks.
Um, I'm happy to to address that.
So, yeah, we We've seen, you know,
the devastating impacts of these floods in Brazil
and now the fires in in recent days.
And,
um, you know, I.
I don't think there has been any attribution studies on
the fires recently because it it is so recent now,
But,
um, you know, IPCC is telling us that, you know, climate change is increasing.
Um, the likelihood of some of these extreme events and so we can't rule out
that these fires may also be, you know, connected to climate change in some ways,
but we'll have to wait and see, um, what those studies tell us once they come out?
Um, as far as what?
To you know what message we want to to send to people regarding this.
I think the message is really clear.
the science tells us that we need to
take urgent and ambitious mitigation and adaptation action.
And we need to do this across scales, you know,
from governments to the private sector to individuals as well.
Uh,
we all have an important role to play and in
reducing our emissions and also increasing resilience in local communities.
And so that's that's the message. I think I would like to send to them.
But I don't know if let say you wanna add anything or
yes, maybe just to compliment. And certainly it's, uh quite worrying to to see
so many extreme events all over the world. I would say,
uh, you highlighted Brazil.
Certainly, the flooding at the beginning of the year was extremely critical.
And now we have these fires. Um
uh, although we don't have it still the attribution studies that, uh,
Laureen mentioned, and these are quite, uh,
uh I would say critical to make sure that, uh the climate change is driving these, um
uh, fires.
We do know
that land use
has been extremely, extremely modified due to economic activities.
We all know that.
And, uh um how Pantanal
suffered from this, uh, in in Brazil.
It's, uh it's a, I think, a demonstration of what is happening all over the Gran
Chaco area.
Uh, that is not only Brazil, but Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina.
Uh, where I come from, So, uh, the land use change has substantially affected.
Also, uh,
the what is happening with fires.
So, yes, IPCC has highlighted that we will have more and more extreme events.
So we are just witnessing what S
the scientific community already
mentioned that was going to happen.
And, uh, my message would be, uh, as highlighted by Laureen.
We have to stand together.
We have to work, uh, and find out solutions that allow just transitions, uh,
that allow us to protect the planet
to have sustainable development.
And, uh, it's it's a movement across nations across communities and across,
of course, the UN system.
And we will engage as much as possible to provide all the resources for, uh,
informed decision making.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. Um uh, one more from the, um, platform. Uh, Mayer
plans the UN brief.
Yes. Thank you very much for taking my question, Claire.
Uh, my question is, uh, for, uh,
Mr
uh, Mrs, uh,
solo. Uh, Google said it would rework, uh uh, its plans to build a 200 million,
uh, data centre in Santiago, Chile.
Uh, because of opposition from locals and environmentalists.
Uh, the tech giant has, uh, increased its water consumption by 22% between 20
and 22 according to the Financial Times.
And critics have described the Google's plans to build data centres
in Latin America as data colonialism that exploits countries cheap water,
electricity and lacks environmental standards, according to
a
news outlet called
Monga Bay.
So what do you make of this push for a I to
do so much promises that will help with the climate crisis,
and at the same time,
they are actually causing more environmental damage to these technologies.
Thank you very much, Maya, for your question,
Um, certainly,
as we mentioned before,
it is not about, um I don't know, uh uh, not allowing, um,
artificial intelligence to grow, but just to having controls in place.
Governance this has been highlighted is it's
also highlighted in this report governance,
and this will be addressed during the summit of the future.
It's, uh, about how we really balance development,
sustainable development with all the innovations and and
and tools that science brings to the table.
So
I do believe that I am, and I'm I would say that it's important how countries,
uh, can put controls in place so that these developments are for the benefit of the
global community and not just to grow,
uh, at the expense of the quality of the environment. So,
I, I do trust in governments. I do trust in multi
multilateralism.
I do trust in the summit of the future and how this will help
us address use the technology for the
better while controlling the negative impacts of technology
we have been, uh, we are here because of the development of technology of
carbon fuel. Uh, it was, uh, it was seen as an opportunity.
And now we see the negative impacts
we have now the advantage of understanding the negative impact.
So we have to develop technologies in a way that we
really, uh, uh,
Avoid
the negative impacts, Uh,
in time not to damage the planet and the global population.
We'll go back to in the room now with Jamie Keaton Associated Press.
Hi. Thank you for coming to see us as Secretary General.
I wanted to just you've mentioned on a number of occasions the summit of the future.
What specifically are you going to be asking?
Countries, Um, at the summit of the future.
And what do you hope to achieve in terms of, uh,
better results in terms of the fighting against climate change?
And if I could just, uh, throw in on top of that because it's obviously a contextual,
uh, question.
Um, we've also seen a lot of elections around the world in the recent months.
Come another others coming up in the next few months,
we've seen a lot of co, uh,
conflict in the Middle East and Europe and elsewhere in Africa.
Um, how much are those things taking away from, uh, attention global attention on,
uh, the fight against climate change.
Thank you for your question. Uh, certainly. It's a complex one.
Very hard to address from, uh, I would say
uh, individual perspective from any organisation.
And again I would go out,
go back to the issue of collaboration and mutual interaction.
Uh,
I we all know that, um,
huge amounts of money are going into
the conflict situation that we we are experiencing, uh, globally.
And that, uh, of course, uh,
removes the money from the climate action.
We see this as an as, of course, as a risk. We see it with, uh, concern.
I think that most most of the
population around the world sees this as a concern.
Uh, not only because we have global conflicts that are really damaging people,
but because also, we are not using our resources to help others
to to, um, improve their,
uh, life quality, uh, and opportunity. So
certainly, it's a goal. It's a world with many conflicts.
And looking into the summit of the future, uh, I believe that, uh,
I truly believe it's a opportunity for countries to address
the
I would say, the inequality crisis,
the climate crisis, the environmental crisis
and, uh, try to, uh, reach together some
strong agreements in terms of how we are going to speed up our, uh, really, um,
achieve our capability to achieve sustainable development goals.
What WMO expect from the summit of the future? Of course.
Um, enhancing the role of science in decision making for us is critical
enhancing data, data production, data sharing all across the world.
Because we have highlighted
that the data we have is not enough to understand what is happening to our planet
and to the environment
and
to the ecosystems. So we need more data. We need to share that data.
And that is a strong message from the WMO.
And, of course, is a strong message from all the,
um to empower the national meteorological and
hydrological services that are doing their best
to continue with the observing system to reinforce the observing system to bring,
uh, objective information
for decision making. This is not about opinions is about reality.
It's about how science can help,
uh, decision making. And we need to use science for that purpose.
Science should not be kept in a box for a few of, uh, of of us.
Science should be the driving mechanism all around the world to really transform
and give more opportunities for the generations to come.
Thank you. Are there any more questions on the platform or in the room
with that? Um,
thank you very much indeed. For joining us. Thank you very much indeed. To
un TV for hosting this. Making it possible
we will have a series of reports coming up
ahead of
cop. The state of the global Water Resources report is the next one
followed by several more. So
please stay tuned and you will see us in the coming weeks more often in this room. So
thank you. Thank you very much indeed.