A United Nations report central to upcoming climate negotiations reveals that the world is significantly behind in its 2015 commitment to combat global warming. The report underscores the urgency of the need for rapid and profound changes in energy and financial systems to steer the planet towards a safer trajectory.
The report, released on Friday, emphasizes that “the window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing.”
To curb global warming, the report recommends reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases by 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, and 60% by 2035. It stresses that “the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels is required,” a phrase that climate negotiators have previously avoided. The report also suggests phasing out internal combustion engines to make a significant impact.
Money flows, including investments, subsidies, loans, grants, and payments for those affected by extreme weather events caused by global warming, must change, the report suggests. It calls for an end to $450 billion in annual subsidies for coal, oil, and natural gas.
Halting deforestation and adopting improved crop-growing practices are also crucial in the fight against climate change, the report notes, highlighting that about 95% of deforestation occurs in tropical regions, but global consumers drive this tree loss.
International climate negotiations president Sultan Al Jaber stressed the need to “urgently disrupt business as usual and unite like never before to move from ambition to action and from rhetoric to real results.”
The report, known as the “global stocktake” on climate efforts, emphasizes the necessity for transformation and uses variations of the word “transform” more than 50 times in its 47 pages.
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore stated on social media that the report shows that failure is not due to a lack of solutions but rather a lack of implementation.
This report comes as leaders of the top 20 economies, responsible for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, gather in India. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged swift action on climate change, emphasizing that “the climate crisis is worsening dramatically.”
In 2015, under the Paris Agreement, countries committed to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or, at the very least, 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, the world has already warmed about 1.1 degrees since the mid-1800s. The report warns that the window to limit warming to 1.5 degrees is also closing rapidly.
The “global stocktake” report provides a midterm evaluation of worldwide climate efforts and serves as a roadmap for future actions to combat climate change. It will play a crucial role in discussions among world leaders and climate negotiators later this year.
While the report acknowledges progress in renewable energy and other initiatives, it underscores that current progress is insufficient, and the world is falling short of the necessary measures to address global warming.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
