Nations not doing enough to cut global emissions by 2.6%: UNFCCC
A new United Nations report says that countries around the world are not doing enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which could lead to dangerous global warming. This warning comes just before important climate change talks happening next month.
Countries have made pledges, called “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), to reduce the amount of harmful gases they release. These emissions are one of the main causes of global warming, which raises the Earth’s temperature and causes severe weather changes. The report from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) says these pledges will only reduce global emissions by 2.6 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. Last year, the reduction was expected to be 2 percent. However, scientists believe that global emissions need to drop by 43 percent by 2030 to keep global temperature rises within safe limits.
The goal, set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, is to keep the Earth’s temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Many experts believe that if temperatures go beyond this limit, it will lead to even more extreme weather, food shortages, and other serious problems that will impact millions of people worldwide.
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of UNFCCC, hopes that this report will encourage countries to make stronger plans. By February of next year, countries are expected to update and strengthen their climate goals as part of their promises made under the Paris Agreement.
In its report, the UNFCCC warns that current national climate plans are far from what is needed. If these plans don’t improve, the world may face serious consequences, including severe impacts on economies and people’s lives across the globe.
