UN cautioning over nations' climate plans

Written by Preeti

According to a UN report, the world will warm by 2.7 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. The present trajectory of the earth, according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, is "catastrophic."

Despite all of the vows to act, the globe is still on track to reach hazardous levels.

That is the United Nations' most recent blunt appraisal.

Its specialists analysed more than 100 countries' climate policies and determined that we are headed in the wrong path.

Scientists have verified that global carbon emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030 to prevent the worst effects of warmer temperatures.

However, according to this new research, emissions are expected to grow by 16% over this time span.

This may result in a temperature rise of 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) beyond pre-industrial levels, considerably exceeding the international community's boundaries.

According to Patricia Espinosa, the UN's chief climate negotiator, "the 16 percent rise is a significant cause for concern."

"It is in stark contrast to science's demands for quick, persistent, and large-scale carbon reductions to avoid the catastrophic climatic impacts and suffering, especially among the world's most vulnerable."

It's a sobering reminder of the magnitude of the challenge ahead at the COP26 climate summit, which begins in little over six weeks in Glasgow.

The main goal of the massive gathering is to keep alive prospects of minimising global warming by encouraging countries to reduce their emissions.

Countries are required to revise their carbon reduction strategies every five years under the terms of the Paris Climate Agreement.

However, according to the UN, just 113 of the 191 nations that signed the pact have upgraded their commitments thus far.

The British minister Alok Sharma, who will chair the COP26 meeting, claimed that countries with strong climate policies were already "turning the curve of emissions downwards."

"However, unless all nations, particularly the largest economies, take action, their efforts may be futile."

Only a handful of the G20 group of major industrial nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have reinforced their carbon reduction objectives, according to a report by Climate Action Tracker.

The World Resources Institute and Climate Analytics point out that China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, who together account for 33% of global greenhouse gas emissions, have yet to submit revised plans.

According to the report, Australia and Indonesia have the same carbon reduction objectives as they did in 2015, despite the fact that the Paris Agreement calls for a "ratchet mechanism" of increasingly greater cuts.

Brazil, Mexico, and Russia all expect their emissions to increase rather than decrease, according to the research.

A quick reduction in the gases that are heating the globe is a priority for the world's poorest countries, which are most susceptible to rising sea levels and new extremes of heat and drought.

"G20 nations must take the lead in swiftly lowering emissions to prevent climate change," said Sonam P Wangdi, chair of the Least Developed Countries group.

"These are the countries with the most capacity and responsibility, and it's past time for them to stand up and address this crisis as one."

China's climate policies may be revised before the Glasgow summit, according to reports.

It has previously said that it intends to peak its emissions by 2030 and attain carbon neutrality by 2060 as the world's top emitter.

Announcing more aggressive goals soon would give the discussions a huge lift, but there are no indications as to when - or even if - that will happen.