More and worse heat waves, forest fires, torrential rains and storms. Poorer harvests, bad air, acidified oceans and difficulties for many plant and animal species to survive. And so affected access to labor, economic damage and increased health problems in the wake of global warming.
There is no longer any person or economy on the planet that is not affected by the effects of climate change, notes UN Environment Director Inger Andersen.
– We need to stop setting unwanted records for greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature peaks and extreme weather, she says in a comment.
The average temperature in September was the highest globally for the month since measurements began, and 2023 is expected to be the warmest year on record.
More is required
Since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015, some progress has been made. Emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases, mainly caused by man’s burning of fossil fuels, have certainly not begun to decrease – but the increase to 2030 does not appear to be as large as the countries’ climate policies pointed towards before the agreement.
But to have a chance of living up to the goals that will mitigate the most devastating effects of climate change, the work must step up. And already this decade, the UN environmental program Unep underlines in the “Emissions Gap Report”.
To limit global warming to 2 degrees, compared to pre-industrial times, emissions must be reduced by 28 percent by 2030 and by 42 percent for 1.5 degrees. The countries’ current climate pledges, if kept, would only reduce global emissions by 2-9 percent, according to the report.
If the world continues on the current path, a warming of 2.5-2.9 degrees awaits at the end of the century.
Global emissions increased by 1.2 percent between 2021 and 2022, reaching a record 57.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The increase for the G20 countries, which account for the lion’s share of all emissions, also lands at 1.2 percent for 2022.
Other records
What is now needed is record emission reductions, climate financing and a green and fair transition instead, urges Unep ahead of the COP28 climate meeting that begins next week.
The question is what is required for the decision-makers to take on board the reports that are coming close to the meeting and point to the fact that the world is not on the right track. New temperature records and more examples of extreme weather give a concrete picture of why it is necessary to adjust, emphasizes Åsa Persson, head of research at the Stockholm Environment Institute.
– But it is clear that all conflicts and security risks in the world lead many governments to set other priorities, she tells TT.
– In some cases, the focus on energy security leads to faster progress with climate change, in order to get rid of dependence on imported fossil fuels. But it can also lead to the opposite development, that countries lock themselves into fossil fuels.
Global tensions
This year’s climate summit is taking place against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions. Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and the conflict between Israel and Hamas has flared up again.
– An overarching question before COP28 is whether people will succeed in coming together to solve the climate issue, despite the conflicts in the world, says Persson.
– There are many other actors, the business world is very ready to make investments. It remains to be seen which forces manage to influence the results of this meeting.