Governments are failing to cut greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to meet the goals of the Paris agreement and to stave off climate disaster, a major report by the UN has found.
According to The Guardian, meeting the goals will require “phasing out all unabated fossil fuels”, the report says.
There is a “rapidly narrowing window” for governments to move faster, according to the report, as global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 at the latest, and be rapidly reduced from there, to limit temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Emissions are still rising, however, and there is a gap of 20 to 23 gigatonnes of CO2 between the cuts needed by 2030.
The report, which was expected next week but was published hurriedly in draft by the UN on September 8, will form the basis of the first “global stock take” under the 2015 Paris agreement. That process is meant to track countries’ efforts to meet the goals of the treaty.
However, the 47-page UN report does not set out in detail which countries are falling behind, nor does it contain specific recommendations directed at particular countries or regions.
Ani Dasgupta, the head of the World Resources Institute thinktank, noted that the bland tone of the report disguised a catastrophic failure. He said: “The UN’s polite prose glosses over what is a truly damning report card for global climate efforts.
“Carbon emissions? Still climbing. Rich countries’ finance commitments? Delinquent. Adaptation support? Lagging woefully behind. This report is a wake-up call to the injustice of the climate crisis, and a pivotal opportunity to correct course.”
