WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment Report on the latest climate science. The report concludes with 95 percent certainty that human activity is causing climate change:
“For decades, a growing chorus of scientists has warned that rising global greenhouse gas emissions would lead to devastating environmental consequences for our planet. Today, the world’s leading climate scientists affirmed with near certainty that climate change has been caused predominantly by humans. The time to debate the reality of climate change is over. From the Arctic to the shorelines of Delaware, we have watched rising sea levels and extreme weather events threaten to destroy habitats, communities, businesses, and infrastructure. We have a responsibility to our planet, to each other, and to future generations to work together to slow this process and lessen its impact. I will continue working to support the study and analysis of climate change, as well as efforts to reduce global carbon emissions and help communities plan for and adapt to the effects of climate change.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change, established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. More than 2,000 scientists contributed to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report.