Skip to main content

World 'far behind' on global warming goals — UN

Greenhouse gas emissions must fall — but rose to 'unprecedented levels' in the last decade

UN experts warned yesterday of a huge gap between goals set to fight global warming and what is being done to reach them.

Greenhouse gas emissions must drop by 40-70 per cent by 2050 to keep the global temperature rise below the 2°C cap set in climate talks, the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change said.

But the opposite is happening. Global emissions rose by 890 million tons a year between 2000 and 2010, outpacing growth in previous decades to reach “unprecedented levels” despite efforts to contain them, the committee said.

“There is a clear message from science: to avoid dangerous interference with the climate system, we need to move away from business as usual,” said panel co-chairman Ottmar Edenhofer.

But business as usual seemed to be the only answer US Secretary of State John Kerry had to offer.

“The global energy market represents a $6 trillion (£3.6trn) opportunity, with six billion users around the world,” he said.

“We already know climate science is unambiguous … but focusing only on grim realities misses promising realities staring us right in the face.”

However, the UN panel said keeping warming below 2°C by 2100 would require a significant shift in the energy system away from oil and coal.

That would mean a near-quadrupling of energy from zero or low-carbon sources such as solar and wind power.

Current pledges by governments to reduce emissions are on a path to 3°C of warming, the panel said.

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 6,981
We need:£ 11,019
13 Days remaining
Donate today