11,000 scientists have banded together to deliver the World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency.

This solutions-focused report presented 6 critical actions that the world must promptly deliver to avoid “untold suffering due to the climate crisis”.

This call to action aligns with local government climate action, including programs such as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, and Cities With Nature, as well as ICLEI’s Five Pathways.

The Global Covenant of Mayors provides local councils with standardised reporting for emissions and climate adaptation, contributing to actions 1, 2 and 5.

ICLEI’s Cities with Nature program provides a framework for local councils to directly address actions 3 and 4. This program not only delivers a way to embed nature-based solutions but foster the longevity of ecosystems in urban settings.

Action 6, which is based on social integrity and equity aligns with ICLEI’s pathway for equitable and people-centred development, a core tenet in ICLEI’s 2018 Montréal Commitment and Strategic Vision.

The 6 actions are:

1. Quickly implement extensive energy efficiency and conservation practices and replace fossil fuels with low-carbon renewables and other cleaner sources of energy that are safe for people and the environment

2. Promptly reduce the emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, black carbon (soot), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This could slow climate feedback loops and potentially reduce the short-term warming trend by more than 50% over the next few decades.

3. Restore and protect Earth's ecosystems. This, in line with dramatically reducing habitat loss allows marine and terrestrial plants, animals, and microorganisms to continue playing significant roles in carbon and nutrient cycling and storage.

4. Consume mostly plant-based foods and reduce the global consumption of animal products. This can improve human health and significantly lower GHG emissions through habitat protection and reduction of short-lived pollutants emissions.

5. Decouple “excessive extraction of materials and overexploitation of ecosystems” from economic growth. “We need to develop a carbon-free economy that explicitly addresses human dependence on the Earth and policies that guide economic decisions accordingly.”

6. Stabilise the world’s population within a framework that ensures social integrity. This involves access to family planning services for all, removing barriers gender equity and embedding education as a global norm for all, especially for girls and young women.

Written by Zoe Goodman and Timothy Shue