Global warming set to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius as pollution plans fail

Almost all of the world’s governments are not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, making it likely that global temperatures will rise beyond the 1.5 degree Celsius tipping point in the years to come, according to a new report on Wednesday.
Scientists have said that keeping global warming below 1.5 ° C is essential to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Global emissions must be halved by 2030 to keep that target in sight, but governments are a long way from this reduction, according to the nonprofit Climate Action Tracker.
Collectively, governments must reduce 20 to 23 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide by the end of this decade. The US and UK have said they want to keep alive the ability to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. But among the countries analyzed, only The Gambia has put in place sufficiently ambitious policies, according to the report.
âAn increasing number of people around the world are suffering increasingly severe and frequent impacts of climate change, but government action is lagging behind what is needed,â said Bill Hare, Chief Executive Officer of Climate Analytics, a partner of CAT.
Under the Paris Agreement signed by 197 countries in 2015, governments agreed to develop voluntary action plans to reduce emissions. But since they were insufficient at the time, nations pledged to return in 2020 with more ambitious policies.
Yet more than 70 countries have yet to submit updated targets, including China, the world’s largest emitter. In addition, a series of rich and middle-income countries – including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia – have submitted new plans that do not increase their ambitions, the group said.
While President Joe Biden updated the U.S. target earlier this year, it remains insufficient to keep the world on track for 1.5C, according to the report.
The UK’s national target is consistent with 1.5 ° C, but the government has not provided enough international climate finance to help poorer countries reduce their emissions, CAT said. Over a decade ago, rich countries pledged to raise $ 100 billion a year in climate finance by 2020, but that target has been missed. The United States is also lagging behind other rich countries in this effort.
âGovernments have now reduced the gap to 15%, a small improvement since May,â said Niklas Hohne, of NewClimate Institute, a partner organization of CAT. âAnyone might think they have plenty of time, when in fact it’s the opposite. “
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