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Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 18:21
UN report: Greenhouse gas emissions gap wider than ever
By Reuters
Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 18:21 By Reuters

This AFP graphic shows a growing gap between greenhouse gas emissions and the objectives of the Paris climate agreement based on an annual UN report.

PARIS - Global greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 could be between 13 billion and 15 billion tonnes more than the level needed to keep global warming within 2 degrees Celsius this century, a United Nations report estimated on Tuesday.

The ninth annual UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report analysed the impact of countries' emissions cut targets and policies, and whether they are enough to limit global average temperature rise to a safer threshold below 2 C.

If the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is very plausible that the goal of a well below 2 C temperature rise increase is also out of reach

9th annual UN Environment Programme report

The assessment comes a few days before a UN climate conference starts in Poland from Dec 2-14. The talks will produce a "rule book" on how to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement which aims limit the rise in global temperatures to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

UNEP said annual greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high of 53.5 billion tonnes in 2017 after three years of decreases. They are not seen peaking by 2030, let alone by 2020.

ALSO READ: UN chief: Climate change is absolute priority

However, emissions in 2030 will need to be around 25 percent and 55 percent lower than last year to put the world on track to limit global warming to 2 degrees and 1.5 degrees Celsius respectively, the report read.

"Increased emissions and lagging action means the gap figure for this year's report is larger than ever," reads the report.

Current climate policies are seen lowering emissions by up to 6 billion tonnes by 2030, implying global warming of around 3 C by 2100, with warming continuing afterwards.

"If the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is very plausible that the goal of a well below 2 C temperature rise increase is also out of reach," reads the report.

To keep warming below 2 C, countries must triple their current efforts. For the more ambitious target of 1.5 C, countries must raise ambitions by five times.

To keep warming below 2 C, countries must triple their current efforts. For the more ambitious target of 1.5 C, countries must raise ambitions by five times

Currently, the world's 20 biggest economies, the G20, are collectively not on track to meet their 2030 pledges, UNEP said.

Analysis and review of progress against pledges from countries to reduce their emissions under the Paris Agreement, so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), showed they were insufficient.

READ MORE: World at a crossroad on climate action

Added impetus came last month in a report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which said that keeping the Earth's temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require rapid and unprecedented changes.

"If the IPCC report represented a global fire alarm, this report is the arson investigation," UNEP deputy executive director Joyce Msuya said in a statement.

"The science is clear; for all the ambitious climate action we have seen – governments need to move faster and with greater urgency. We are feeding this fire while the means to extinguish it are within reach," he added.

Institutions such as city, state and regional governments; companies; investors; higher education and civil societyorganisations are increasingly committing to climate action and are an important element in achieving global emissions goals.

Although estimates on the emissions reduction potentialvary, some 19 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) could be reduced by their actions by 2030. This would be enough to close the 2 C gap, the report read.

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