The United Nations has issued a stark warning that the world is on a perilous path toward escalating climate catastrophe unless immediate and unprecedented global action is taken. According to the latest Emissions Gap Report released on Thursday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the planet is projected to warm by 1.8 degrees Celsius above current temperatures. However, this could be reduced by half a degree if countries fulfill all their commitments to combat climate change.
Despite these efforts, the report emphasizes that the anticipated measures will not suffice to prevent the most severe consequences of global warming, including more intense heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and droughts. Anne Olhoff, the report’s main editor and chief climate advisor at the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, stressed the urgency of immediate action. “The main message is that action right now and right here before 2030 is critical if we want to lower the temperature,” she said. “It is now or never really if we want to keep 1.5 alive.”
The report highlights that under all but the most optimistic scenarios, which require the most significant reductions in fossil fuel consumption, the chances of limiting global warming to within the internationally agreed limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels are virtually nonexistent. The world has already experienced a temperature rise of 1.3 degrees Celsius since the mid-1800s, accounting for record heat levels observed last year.
Inger Andersen, UNEP Director, warned that without swift and dramatic emissions cuts “on a scale and pace never seen before,” the 1.5-degree goal will soon be unattainable, placing even the less stringent target of staying “well below 2 degrees Celsius” in critical jeopardy. The report projects that, based on current trajectories, global temperatures are on course to rise by 3.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The disparity between nations’ pledged actions and their actual implementation is a significant concern. The world’s 20 richest countries, responsible for 77 percent of global carbon emissions, are generally not meeting their stated emission reduction goals, with only 11 countries on track. The report calls for nations to bridge this “emissions gap” by enhancing and accelerating their climate action plans.
Experts assert that while the technological and economic means to achieve the necessary emission reductions exist, there is a lack of political will and commitment. “Winning slowly is the same as losing when it comes to climate change,” said Neil Grant of Climate Analytics. Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, echoed these sentiments, stating that humanity is “not making progress” and is headed toward a “path to disaster.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conveyed the gravity of the situation, stating, “We’re playing with fire, but there can be no more playing for time. We’re out of time.” The report underscores the need for immediate, collective global action to avert the worst impacts of climate change and stresses that the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.
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Immediate action needed to curb climate crisis, UN report warns
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