United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called for “spectacular measures” to be taken immediately to prevent further global warming as the planet heads towards 2.9ºC of warming.
Speaking at the presentation of the latest report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, in its original acronym), António Guterres believed that the gap between countries’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the need to to respect the goals of the Paris Agreement is “a failure of leadership, a betrayal of those who are vulnerable and a huge missed opportunity.”
According to the report presented this Monday, with current measures, the planet is heading for a temperature increase of between 2.5°C and 2.9°C by the end of the century.
In the Paris Agreement, reached in 2015, countries committed to taking measures to prevent global warming from rising above 2°C above pre-industrial times and preferably not above 1 .5°C. Since then, the 1.5°C target has never been abandoned at UN summits.
The UN report highlights that greenhouse gas emissions have reached new highs, record temperatures continue and climate impacts are increasing.
Experts warn that temperature increases on this stretch will be much higher than thought, meaning states will have to do much more than they promised.
Those responsible for the report admit that progress has been made since the signing of the Paris Agreement and emphasize that the forecast for gas emissions for 2030 should fall by 28%, so that the temperature rise is 2°C, and by 42% if the objective is achieved. prevent a rise of more than 1.5°C.
In the current situation, by using each country’s obligations, the so-called “nationally determined contributions”, to reduce emissions, the world is heading for a temperature increase of 2.9 °C, or at least 2 could reach .5 °C.
The document calls on countries to accelerate transformations towards development with low greenhouse gas emissions, and asks the richest and largest emitting countries to take more ambitious measures and support developing countries.
António Guterres, presenting the document, said it is necessary to triple alternative energy sources and provide clean energy to everyone.
The UN report is published a few days before the start of the 28th UN climate summit (COP28), which will take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
Source: DN
