The world was stunned last week by the release of a report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group of scientists whose findings are endorsed by the world’s governments. Among the report’s conclusions are that:

• The global surface temperature was 1.09°C higher in the decade between 2011-2020 than between 1850-1900

• The past five years have been the hottest on record since 1850

• The recent rate of sea-level rise has nearly tripled compared with 1901-1971

• Human influence is “very likely” (90%) the main driver of the global retreat of glaciers since the 1990s and the decrease in Arctic sea-ice

• It is “virtually certain” that hot extremes including heatwaves have become more frequent and more intense since the 1950s, while cold events have become less frequent and less severe

Professor Carolina Vera, vice-chair of the working group that produced the document, said: “The report clearly shows that we are already living the consequences of climate change everywhere. But we will experience further and concurrent changes that increase with every additional beat of warming.”