The fight against greenhouse gas emissions did not have a good year in 2023: grew again globally, up to 1.3% annually, even above the increase that occurred last decade, when it was 0.8%. The consequence is not only that the planet overheats, but to avoid the climate threshold of 1.5 degrees (above which heat waves, torrential rains or major hurricanes multiply), countries should accelerate immediately its emissions cuts or it will be impossible to achieve the goal: global temperature is already around 1.3 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times.
«The moment of truth has arrived for climate change. we need a global mobilization on a scale and pace never seen before, starting right now, before the next round of climate commitments, or the 1.5°C target will soon be void,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
The agency presented this Thursday the annual report on the ’emissions gap’, which compares actual greenhouse emissions cuts, those promised by countries and those that would be necessary to limit global warming to avoid the worst effects of change. climatic. The results show that reality is very far from the goal. To keep global temperature at 1.5º, emissions would have to fall 42% by 2030compared to 2019 levels. And to leave it at 2°, the reduction would be 28% by 2030.
The gap grows
«The task It has become more difficult«, said the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres. «Either leaders close the emissions gap or we rush towards a climate disaster«.
Starting next year, the almost 200 signatory countries of the Paris Agreement against global warming should update their emissions cut plans that include concrete goals for 2035. According to UN calculations, global emissions should fall by one year each year. 7.5 percent until 2035 to achieve an increase of 1.5°, and a reduction of 4 percent for 2°.
However, under current plans, even if countries comply with emissions cuts, the world is on track for a temperature increase of between 2.6° and 3.1° over the course of this century. And the report points out that the large emitters, concentrated in the G20, are not going to fulfill their climate promises by 2030. «I urge all nations: Enough of the chatter, please.«Andersen insisted.
The report, however, tries to show a path to hope and assures that managing to keep the temperature at the degree and a half is technically possible If renewable energies are massively deployed, reforestation and nature restoration plans, energy efficiency and electrification, among other measures, are applied. Investment in mitigation would have to be multiplied by six and unprecedented international mobilization would be needed.
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