Floods across Europe. Blazing heat. Devastating fires across the globe. The planet’s last few days read like a biblical warning. We simply cannot continue to avoid the climate emergency.

On Monday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its sixth assessment report. The IPCC was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1988. Its task is to assess the science related to climate change.

The report warns that the 1.5C increase in temperature will probably be breached a decade earlier than the IPCC had predicted. A closer look at the headline statements from the Summary for Policymakers gives us a good picture as to where things are heading with regard to global climate change.

The report focuses on four main areas: (i) the current state of the climate, (ii) possible climate futures, (iii) climate information for risk assessment and regional adaptation, and (iv) limiting future climate change.

The last IPCC assessment report was published back in 2014. Seven years on, the global situation has not improved. On the contrary, things are looking much worse.

The effects of “human influence” have clearly become the main cause for the warmer atmosphere, oceans and land. The report describes the changes we are experiencing today as “unequivocal” and “unprecedented”.

This has been the cause for extreme weather conditions we’ve been experiencing, such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones.

These are the facts. This is what is what is happening now. What should we expect?

According to the IPCC report, “global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.”

The same report warns of larger and even more catastrophic weather extremes.

The extent of this climate disaster is going to depend on our action or inaction. Putting aside all the sceptics who will continue to emerge from every nook and cranny, the main challenge for us is not just about believing these facts and figures. It is also about doing something to bring about the change.

Put in simple terms, even if we take drastic measures, the problem will not go away overnight. Mother Earth has been damaged severely by our actions and lifestyles. The damage will take centuries to repair.

Of course, postponing our decisions and procrastinating further is going to make matters worse, not just for our children, but as we can see right now, even for us.

Is Malta relevant in all this? Will our efforts make a difference?

The experience of COVID 19 has shown us that Malta is no different from any other country. Our size can be to our advantage. If, and when, we decide to implement the necessary measures urged by science and experts, we can become successful even in this area of climate change.

But do we really want to change?

The number of cars in Malta increases daily. There is no plan for a public transport system. We are hardly at a time or place where we can point fingers at anyone except ourselves.

Our Ambassador for Climate Action, Prof. Simone Borg, is making it amply clear that life in Malta may become truly intolerable if the temperature continues to rise. Of course, we may stick our heads in the sand and come up with the usual statements that we are too small to make any difference.

PN and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has decided to take the lead by calling for an urgent national conference on climate change. PN had taken a similar initiative two years ago through a parliamentary motion.

Labour had once again tried to ridicule and undermine this initiative while promising the National Youth Council (who have been lobbying ever since) that it would prioritise this hot issue.

The reverse has happened. There has been no initiative to stop the harm done. On the contrary, the widening of roads and removal of old and mature trees have become a national hobby for our government.

Through its policy clusters, PN is working on improving the well-being of our people. That well-being is strongly at risk if we continue to ignore the climate problems at hand and continue to experience these high temperatures.

Clearly not all our citizens can afford to cruise the Mediterranean on a luxurious boat just to keep cool — the way our prime minister can.

Our electricity distribution system is failing us on a daily basis. Some have had to sleep in cars, others have rented out a room to make sure they don’t end up without electricity in this devastating heat.

Drastic climate change requires drastic measures. We cannot wait any longer. Let’s listen to the experts, let’s discuss a way forward and let’s take action.