<span style="color: #222222;">An international group of scientists has urged countries at a UN Climate Change Conference to step up their target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. </span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">Seven Scientists from Japan, Germany, France and others made the appeal in a panel discussion at the Conference in Poland. They referred to a special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.&nbsp;</span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">The report issued in October says that by as early as 2030, the average global temperature could rise 1.5 degrees Celsius from pre-Industrial Revolution levels. </span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">The scientists warned that if the current situation continues, many areas around the world could be seriously affected by heavy rain and rising sea levels.&nbsp;</span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">They said higher targets for emissions reductions are needed to limit the temperature rise under the Paris climate change accord. </span><br />” <br />” <span style="color: #222222;">One of the scientists, Mikiko Kainuma from Japan, said the effects of extreme heat and typhoons this summer are evident, and that policymakers should set ambitious targets.</span>