Aryn Baker
Fri, February 26, 2021
Climate Change In Bangladesh
Salinity effect seen in soil as a result trees has died after Cyclone amphan hit in Satkhira on February 23, 2021. Credit - Kazi Salahuddin Razu—NurPhoto via Getty Images
The language of diplomacy rarely allows for a true sense of emotion or urgency. But reading between the lines of the latest report commissioned by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)—the body representing the 197 member nations of the Paris Agreement to minimize a global average temperature rise this century—the message is clear. The world has precisely ten months to get our act together if there is to be any hope of staving off a climate catastrophe by the end of the century.
If member nations are to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting global temperature rise above preindustrial levels by 2°C—ideally 1.5°C—by 2100, they must redouble efforts and submit stronger, more ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions, according to the report. The document tabulates the national climate action plans [NDCs], of each member nation. The NDCs, which were due at the end of 2020, are essentially blueprints laying out emission reduction targets for each country along with plans detailing how they will meet those stated goals.
So far, the plans all coming up short. The report shows that while the majority of the 75 nations that have submitted NDCs increased their individual commitments, their combined impact puts them on a path to achieve only a 1% reduction in global emissions by 2030, compared to the 45% reduction needed to hit the 1.5°C temperature goal. “This report shows that current levels of climate ambition are very far from putting us on a pathway that will meet our Paris Agreement goals,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change. “While we acknowledge the recent political shift in momentum towards stronger climate action throughout the world, decisions to accelerate and broaden climate action everywhere must be taken now.”
Another report will be released prior to COP 26, the global meeting on Climate Change, currently scheduled for November in the U.K., giving stragglers time to catch up, says Espinosa. “It’s time for all remaining parties to step up, fulfill what they promised to do under the Paris Agreement and submit their NDCs as soon as possible. If this task was urgent before, it’s crucial now.”
Read more: 2020 Was a Year of Climate Extremes. What Can We Expect in 2021?
The former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, who also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and is now Chair of The Elders, was scathing in her assessment of the commitments made by some of the world’s biggest polluters and did not hesitate to single out countries by name. “Major economies need to ramp up their ambition – starting with the U.S., where expectations are high for an emissions and finance pledge to make up for lost time. Others like Japan, Canada, Korea, New Zealand and China, have committed to net zero goals by mid-century, but we are still missing their promised new near-term plans to get there,” she said in a statement released ahead of the report.
Robinson was particularly withering when it came to Australia’s commitments, noting that it was not enough for the country to “repackage a plan that was already inadequate five years ago. The good news is there is still time for radical improvement if Australia wants to keep pace with their major allies and trading partners.”
The clock is ticking for Australia, as well as everyone else.
Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting.
Tougher climate plans urgently needed as world still ‘very far’ from meeting Paris goals, says UN
Daisy Dunne
Fri, February 26, 2021
A report says only two of the world’s 18 largest emitters came forward with more ambitious climate plans in 2020(AP)More
Countries must submit tougher climate plans this year if the world is to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the UN has warned.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries pledged to keep global warming to “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels, with the aspiration of limiting temperatures to 1.5C.
As part of the deal, all countries were due to submit revised climate plans, which are known as “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), by the end of 2020.
However, a progress report from the UN finds that only 75 “parties” – which includes individual countries and the European Union – met the 31 December deadline. These countries represent just 30 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
And the UN’s analysis of these plans finds that, when considered together, they would see emissions fall by just one per cent by 2030, when compared to levels in 2010.
This is far below the level of reduction needed by 2030 to put the world on track to limiting global warming to 1.5C by the end of the century, the UN said.
A landmark report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global authority on climate science, found that emissions would need to decline by around 45 per cent by 2030, when compared to 2010 levels, to give the world the greatest chance at limiting global warming to 1.5C.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said the interim report should signal “a red alert for our planet”.
“2021 is a make or break year to confront the global climate emergency,” he said in a statement. “The science is clear, to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, we must cut global emission by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2010 levels.
“Today’s [report] shows governments are nowhere close to the level of ambition needed to limit climate change to 1.5C and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.”
The report highlights that the world’s biggest emitters, in particular, must significantly raise their ambition this year if the world is to meet its climate goals, he added.
Just two of the world’s 18 largest emitters came forward with more ambitious climate plans by the end of 2020, the report says. This includes the UK and the EU. Some major emitters submitted new climate plans that were no more or even less ambitious than their previous pledges, researchers previously told The Independent.
An upcoming round of UN climate talks known as Cop26, which are to be held in Glasgow in November, will provide a key opportunity for raising climate ambition.
Alok Sharma has been appointed Cop26 president AFP/Getty
Alok Sharma, the UK minister who has been appointed Cop26 president, said the UN’s findings should “serve as an urgent call to action”.
“I am asking all countries, particularly major emitters, to submit ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets,” he said.
Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said that the progress report should be viewed as a “snapshot” rather than “a full picture”.
This is because many countries said that they faced difficulties meeting the 2020 deadline due to challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, she said. She added that a second NDC progress report will be released before Cop26.
“This report shows that current levels of climate ambition are very far from putting us on a pathway that will meet our Paris Agreement goals,” she said.
“While we acknowledge the recent political shift in momentum towards stronger climate action throughout the world, decisions to accelerate and broaden climate action everywhere must be taken now. This underlines why Cop26 must be the moment when we get on track towards a green, clean, healthy and prosperous world.”
Mohamed Adow, director of the climate think tank Power Shift Africa, said the results of the UN’s analysis were “staggering”.
“If you would believe the rhetoric of world leaders you’d think they were making great progress and about to solve it,” he said.
“This is why it’s good to have a report that lays out the facts in stark reality.”
Read More
Climate crisis ‘biggest security threat humans have faced’, Sir David Attenborough tells UN
No comments:
Post a Comment