A new report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) details what could happen--including worsening food shortages, wildfires, and coral reef die-off--if Global Climate Change is not addressed. In order to avoid damage, the temperature limit must be stricter. The report estimates that if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t dramatically decreased, many of the effects of Global Climate Change will be apparent.

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In 2015, the United Nations (UN) put forth The Paris Agreement to combat Global Climate Change. With the European Union (EU), and 194 states signing the agreement, the goal of the agreement was to limit the increase in global temperature to less than 2 degrees celsius (3.6 degrees fahrenheit). Although this may not seem like much, any increase above pre-industrial levels

could be catastrophic to the global ecosystem. The world leaders under the Paris agreement decided to commission the report.

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According to the New York Times, 91 scientists from 40 countries wrote and edited the report based on more than 6,000 scientific studies. The Paris agreement set a target of preventing the warming from reaching 3.6 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, but leaders of small island nations asked that lower temperatures are looked at.

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“One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1 degree celsius of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes,” said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I.

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In order to avoid catastrophe, average global air temperatures need to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. If the input of greenhouse gases into the air is dramatically decreased, according to IPCC, sea level would be 10 centimeters lower by 2100, coral reefs would degrade by 70-90 percent as opposed to them being completely destroyed, and the chances of complete loss of sea ice in the arctic during the summer would be limited to once per century. A task that was seen as nearly impossible, especially since the United States withdrew from the agreement last year, just became tougher to accomplish.

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Global Climate Change has a variety of consequences. Additional half-degree of warming could cause more sea ice loss, which means habitat loss for polar bears, whales, and sea birds. Extreme heat caused by increase in global temperatures would expose a large amount of the world population to extreme heat, resulting in a “highly unusual” number of hot days. Water will also become increasingly scarce because of increases in population and temperature. Sea level is expected to rise and displace millions of people world wide.

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There is also irreversible damage being done to the plants and animals on this planet. The world is currently undergoing a sixth mass extinction, caused by humans. Many species are losing habitat in addition to feeling the effects of rising temperatures. Coral reefs are experiencing bleaching, resulting in the death and disappearance of reefs. Crops are expected to yield less because of warmer air conditions.

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However this report was not sent to strike panic or fear, it is meant to be a call-to-action. Every human being on Earth is facing this same issue, and through collaboration, it is possible to limit the rise in average global air temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius and fight back against Global Climate Change.

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“Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes,” said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

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“The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5ºC are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate,” said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I.

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Steps that could be taken to reduce fossil fuel output include setting taxes or prices on carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, given the political climate in the U.S., it would be nearly impossible to pass such strict regulations. The U.S. is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China. Lawmakers in China, the European Union, and California have enacted some sort of carbon pricing program.

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The Trump Administration has shunned the scientific findings and plans to continue pushing coal.

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“This report makes it clear: There is no way to mitigate climate change without getting rid of coal,” said Drew Shindell, a climate scientist at Duke University and an author of the report, according to the New York Times.

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Regardless, the U.S. joined more than 180 countries in accepting the report’s summary. The State Department released a statement that said, “acceptance of this report by the panel does not imply endorsement by the United States of the specific findings or underlying contents of the report.”

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The State Department made it clear that the current administration does not accept climate science and climate policy, saying, “We reiterate that the United States intends to withdraw from the Paris agreement at the earliest opportunity absent the identification of terms that are better for the American people.”

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Overall, major societal and systematic changes need to happen in order to achieve sustainable development that reduces the rate at which Global Climate Change occurs. According to the report, this is going to require a mixture of changes that are institutional, social, cultural, economic, and technological.