More action needs to taken to tackle the threat of climate change, according to the United Nations.
A new report on emissions shows that fulfilling national pledges to reduce CO2 output would only net a third of the 2030 target to meet targets aimed at keeping global temperatures below 2degrees Celsius.
The UN’s Environment department said more must be done in the private sector and at a ‘sub-national’ level to help close the gap.
The Paris Agreement looks to limit global warming to under 2degrees Celsius, with a more ambitious goal of 1.5degrees Celsius also on the table.
Meeting these targets would reduce the likelihood of severe climate impacts that could damage human health, livelihoods and economies across the globe, the UN claims.
As things stand, even full implementation of current unconditional and conditional Nationally Determined Contributions makes a temperature increase of at least 3degrees Celsius by 2100 “very likely”.
Accordingly, the UN is likely to put further pressure on governments to deliver much stronger pledges when they are revised in 2020.
Should the United States follow through with its stated intention to leave the Paris Agreement in 2020, “the picture could become even bleaker”, the UN said in a statement.
“One year after the Paris Agreement entered into force, we still find ourselves in a situation where we are not doing nearly enough to save hundreds of millions of people from a miserable future,2 said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment.
“This is unacceptable. If we invest in the right technologies, ensuring that the private sector is involved, we can still meet the promise we made to our children to protect their future. But we have to get on the case now.”
CO2 emissions have remained stable since 2014, driven in part by renewable energy, notably in China and India.
This has raised hopes that emissions have peaked, as they must by 2020 to remain on a successful climate trajectory.
However, the report warns that other greenhouse gases, such as methane, are still rising, and a global economic growth spurt could easily put CO2 emissions back on an upward trajectory.
To avoid overshooting the Paris goals, governments (including by updating their Paris pledges), the private sector, cities and others need to urgently pursue actions that will bring deeper and more-rapid cuts.
The report lays out ways to do so, particularly in agriculture, buildings, energy, forestry, industry and transport.
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