The world faces "severe, pervasive and irreversible" damage unless swift action is taken to switch to fossil fuel alternatives and cut carbon emissions, according to the most detailed climate change report in years.
"A window of opportunity" to limit global warming to 2C (3.6F) is closing, according to UN experts. They warn that if targets are not met, more extreme weather events will occur, and the problem will become more expensive to solve.
Right now, levels of three greenhouse gases – methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide – are at unprecedented levels that haven't been seen in the past 800,000 years.
To slow down permanent increases in global temperatures, carbon emissions need to be reduced by between 40% and 70% by 2050, and completely eliminated by the end of the century, according to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The head of the group, Rajendra Pachauri, told a conference in Copenhagen that reducing the planet's reliance on fossil fuels was possible, and insisted that the economic costs of making necessary changes would be minimal.
"Mitigation cost estimates vary, but … global economic growth would not be strongly affected."
Whereas worldwide consumption is expected to increase by 1.6% to 3% each year, becoming more eco-friendly would only slow this growth by 0.06%.
The IPCC's report – only its fifth since the UN body launched in 1988 – was welcomed by US Secretary of State, John Kerry.
"Those who choose to ignore or dispute the science so clearly laid out in this report do so at great risk for all of us, and for our kids and grandkids," he said.
"The longer we are stuck in a debate over ideology and politics, the more the costs of inaction grow and grow.
"The bottom line is that our planet is warming due to human actions, the damage is already visible. We're seeing more and more extreme weather and climate events, whether it's storm surges, devastating heatwaves and torrential rain across the globe."
His remarks echoed the report's warning that if nothing is done, temperatures could rise by 4C (7.2F) – exacerbating instances of homelessness, hunger and conflict.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Davey, added: "This is the most comprehensive, thorough and robust assessment of climate change ever produced.
"It sends a clear message that should be heard across the world – we must act now.
"It's now up to the politicians – we must safeguard the world for future generations by striking a new climate deal in Paris next year."
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