In 2015, the Paris Agreement set a goal to limit the increase in average global temperature to 2.0°C over pre-industrial levels with a goal of 1.5°C. This October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a Special Report titled “Global Warming of 1.5°C” to communicate the detriments of a warming 1.5°C+ above pre-industrial levels.

The IPCC provides meticulous and balanced information to decision-makers in government. This Special Report urges large-scale emission reductions to be initiated in order to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

These consequences are not to be taken lightly. Since the industrial revolution, humans are estimated to have already caused a 1.0°C increase in global warming and are likely to see an increase to 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052. From this warming, we will see substantial and destructive consequences.

Regions of the world are becoming increasingly uninhabitable, agricultural industries are battling with inconsistencies of weather, extinction of species is moving faster than evolution and increased ocean temperature/acidification is destroying marine communities.

In addition, increased poverty and decreased global GDP are expected to cause 150 million more premature deaths in comparison to a world without warming. The higher we see a global temperature increase, the worse these effects will persist. The longer we debate and deny this issue, the more certainty scientists gain.

It is time for NC State to recognize and act on our responsibility. As a large, public, land-grant university, we should be a leader in eliminating emissions to slow climate change. NC State has a Climate Action Plan, released in 2010, outlining our goal for zero net CO₂ emissions by 2050.

As we approach the eighth anniversary of its publishing, it seems it is time to rewrite the plan and act more directly on our goals. In addition, NC State must divest our investments from the fossil fuel industry. Financially supporting environmentally negligent companies while promoting our status as a green institution is contradictory.

Long-term indicators, including sea level rise, melting of ice caps and concentration of CO­­­₂ in the atmosphere urge a change to be made in policy and administration. Mitigation and adaptation policy at the administrative level is going to be key for future generations to survive climate change.

Future technologies are being taken more seriously, but a current review and reduction of CO₂ emissions are important for these technologies to be implemented. Powerful figures in the world must recognize climate change as the most pressing long-term issue we see today. This warning from the IPCC is the most serious we’ve seen; it would be unwise to ignore or deny it.

Governor Roy Cooper agrees it is time to change the course of climate change. Cooper signed Executive Order 80 on Oct. 29, aiming to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the state of North Carolina over the next decade. This order would keep North Carolina in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Accord. It requires state agencies to lead by example by reducing energy use in municipal buildings.

Governor Cooper announced an increase in public-private sector partnerships and directed the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to develop a plan to implement clean energy in North Carolina. Governor Cooper recognized the consensus among scientists that climate change is real and that its effects are already happening. This order will prove environmental protection and economic growth are mutual and needed for society.

Governor Cooper’s actions show a drastic change in the way North Carolina chooses to tackle the challenge of climate change. NC State has a responsibility to do the same. We cannot be complacent with the progress we have made or rely on advocating for individual change as a comprehensive climate policy. The IPCC report says we need drastic changes in our societal reliance on fossil fuels. Political and institutional leaders have the power to initiate this change.

When displeasing evidence is presented to the world, we have the option to ignore it and pass the problem on to haunt future generations, or we can make a change united with our neighbors. We need to transition out of fossil fuel use on a global scale. NC State should follow Governor Cooper’s lead and step up our action on climate change. Our communities, health, economy, and world depend on it.

Emily Trentham is a second-year studying environmental science and political science. She is also the Grassroots Executive for The Climate Reality Project at NC State.