WORLD HEADING FOR 3 DEGREE RISE IN TEMPERATURES: UN REPORT

Thu 10 December 2020:

A green pandemic recovery could cut upto 25 per cent off predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions and bring the world closer to meeting the 2°C goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change, said a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Wednesday.

A green pandemic recovery could cut up to 25% off predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions and bring the world closer to meeting the goal, it added.

Each year the Emissions Gap Report assesses the gap between anticipated emissions and levels consistent with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming this century to well below two degrees and pursuing 1.5 degrees celsius.

As a result of reduced travel, lower industrial activity and lower electricity generation this year due to the pandemic, carbon dioxide emissions are predicted to fall up to 7 per cent in 2020. However, this dip only translates to a 0.01 degree celsius reduction of global warming by 2050. Meanwhile, NDCs remain inadequate.

Additionally, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted: “The year 2020 is on course to be one of the warmest on record, while wildfires, storms and droughts continue to wreak havoc.”

“UNEP’S Emissions Gap report shows that a green pandemic recovery can take a huge slice out of greenhouse gas emissions and help slow climate change,” Andersen added.

She urged governments to back a green recovery in the next stage of the coronavirus fiscal intervention and significantly raise their climate ambitions in 2021.

The report also underlined that the expected 2020 fall in carbon dioxide emissions as a result of reduced travel, lower industrial activity and electricity generation due to the pandemic only translates to a 0.01°C reduction of global warming by 2050.

The report also said the growing number of countries committing to net-zero emission goals by mid-century is a “significant and encouraging development”. At the time of report completion, 126 countries covering 51 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions had adopted, announced or were considering net-zero goals.

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s provisional annual climate report, which was released last week, 2020 is on track to be one of the three warmest years on record after 2016 and 2019.

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