Waterkeeper Alliance Responds to Dire IPCC Report on Climate Crisis

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released earlier today brings a dire warning: climate change is accelerating and aggressive action is needed. The report details how the severe impacts of the climate crisis are already upon us. These are evidenced by increasing water shortages and wildfires in some areas, and coastal flooding and superstorms in other areas, and there is increased scientific certainty tying these events to climate change. These impacts will intensify in the coming decades unless we act with appropriate urgency now. Waterkeeper Alliance, a global movement uniting more than 300 Waterkeeper groups around the world focusing community action on issues that affect our waterways, released the following statement:

“The IPCC is sounding the alarm louder than ever. This report highlights the costs of inaction, details the devastating impacts of climate change around the world, and underscores that we are running out of time to tackle this crisis,” ​​said Marc Yaggi, executive director of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Keeping fossil fuels in the ground, pursuing blue carbon projects, and fighting the false solutions of hydropower must be our global priorities. Continued government inaction, however, is not a viable option.“

“The IPCC report clearly identifies methane as a main culprit in this crisis — it is also our biggest lever to create change,” said Chris Wilke, global advocacy manager of Waterkeeper Alliance. “We must aggressively target methane emission reductions from oil and gas, agriculture, and hydropower industries, and accelerate a just transition to truly sustainable energy sources for our planet.”