BERLIN: The world is on a “disastrous path” toward a warming future, the UN chief said on Friday, unless governments make more ambitious pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
New one United Nations report To review all national commitments submitted by the signatories to Paris Climate By July 30 the agreement found that emissions would increase by about 16% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
Scientists say the world should soon begin sharply curbing emissions and not add as much to the atmosphere by 2050 as can be absorbed to meet the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement – global warming Limit growth to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit). 2100.
“The world is on a catastrophic path of 2.7 degree (C) warming,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
Experts say that the planet has already warmed by 1.1 °C since pre-industrial times.
“We need to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 to reach carbon neutrality by the middle of the century,” Guterres said.
Some 113 countries, including the United States and the European Union, submitted updates to their emissions targets, also known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, by the end of July.
Their pledges will result in a 12% drop in emissions for those countries by the end of the decade – a figure that could more than double if some governments’ conditional pledges and assurances about the carbon neutrality target by 2050 are translated into action. is done.
“That’s the positive side of the picture,” said UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa, whose office compiled the latest report. “The other is more serious.”
Dozens of countries, including major emitters such as China, India and Saudi Arabia, failed to submit fresh pledges in time for the report.
Espinosa called on leaders at the UN annual gathering in New York next week to advance strong commitments in time for the global body’s upcoming climate summit in Glasgow.
“Leaders must engage in a frank discussion motivated not only by a very legitimate desire to defend national interests, but by an equally primeval goal of contributing to the welfare of humanity,” he said. “We don’t have time anymore, and people around the world expect no less.”
Espinosa said that some public pledges, such as China’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2060, have not yet been formally presented to the United Nations and therefore were not taken into account for the report. An update, which will include any further commitments submitted by then, will be issued shortly before the Glasgow summit, she said.
Still, environmental campaigners and representatives from some vulnerable countries expressed dismay at the findings.
“We must ask what it takes to heed the scientific findings and have some major emitters of no return to our world,” said Aubrey Webson of Antigua and Barbuda, president of the Association of Small Island States.
“The findings are clear – if we want to avoid the amplification of our already catastrophic climate impacts, we need to stick to the more ambitious NDCs, implementing major emitters and all G20 countries, and a strong commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. needs to be made.”
Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said meeting the Paris target would only be possible with “courageous leadership and bold decisions”.
“Governments are letting vested interests call the climate shots instead of serving the global community,” she said. “The buck has ceased to be passed on to future generations – we are now living in a climate emergency.”
New one United Nations report To review all national commitments submitted by the signatories to Paris Climate By July 30 the agreement found that emissions would increase by about 16% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
Scientists say the world should soon begin sharply curbing emissions and not add as much to the atmosphere by 2050 as can be absorbed to meet the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement – global warming Limit growth to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit). 2100.
“The world is on a catastrophic path of 2.7 degree (C) warming,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
Experts say that the planet has already warmed by 1.1 °C since pre-industrial times.
“We need to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 to reach carbon neutrality by the middle of the century,” Guterres said.
Some 113 countries, including the United States and the European Union, submitted updates to their emissions targets, also known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs, by the end of July.
Their pledges will result in a 12% drop in emissions for those countries by the end of the decade – a figure that could more than double if some governments’ conditional pledges and assurances about the carbon neutrality target by 2050 are translated into action. is done.
“That’s the positive side of the picture,” said UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa, whose office compiled the latest report. “The other is more serious.”
Dozens of countries, including major emitters such as China, India and Saudi Arabia, failed to submit fresh pledges in time for the report.
Espinosa called on leaders at the UN annual gathering in New York next week to advance strong commitments in time for the global body’s upcoming climate summit in Glasgow.
“Leaders must engage in a frank discussion motivated not only by a very legitimate desire to defend national interests, but by an equally primeval goal of contributing to the welfare of humanity,” he said. “We don’t have time anymore, and people around the world expect no less.”
Espinosa said that some public pledges, such as China’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2060, have not yet been formally presented to the United Nations and therefore were not taken into account for the report. An update, which will include any further commitments submitted by then, will be issued shortly before the Glasgow summit, she said.
Still, environmental campaigners and representatives from some vulnerable countries expressed dismay at the findings.
“We must ask what it takes to heed the scientific findings and have some major emitters of no return to our world,” said Aubrey Webson of Antigua and Barbuda, president of the Association of Small Island States.
“The findings are clear – if we want to avoid the amplification of our already catastrophic climate impacts, we need to stick to the more ambitious NDCs, implementing major emitters and all G20 countries, and a strong commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050. needs to be made.”
Jennifer Morgan, executive director of Greenpeace International, said meeting the Paris target would only be possible with “courageous leadership and bold decisions”.
“Governments are letting vested interests call the climate shots instead of serving the global community,” she said. “The buck has ceased to be passed on to future generations – we are now living in a climate emergency.”
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