UN warns of catastrophic climate impacts without dramatic emissions cuts

In a report released this week, the United Nations warned that the world is on course for a 3.1°C temperature increase by the end of the century, well above the internationally agreed limit of 1.5°C. Without immediate and deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, this trajectory risks an escalation of extreme weather events, threatening ecosystems, economies, and vulnerable communities across the globe.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the “emissions gap” – the difference between current emissions and the reductions needed to limit warming – is a pressing issue with tangible consequences. "We are teetering on a planetary tightrope,” Guterres said in a video message, stressing the link between rising emissions and increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters. He urged world leaders to act decisively at the upcoming COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November, framing it as an opportunity to establish ambitious new national plans to reduce emissions.

“This conference starts the clock for countries to deliver new national climate action plans by next year,” Guterres said, calling on governments to align their strategies with the 1.5°C target set under the Paris Agreement. He highlighted the responsibility of the G20 nations – which account for roughly 80 percent of global emissions – to lead these efforts and drive economy-wide emissions cuts across all sectors.

While the report paints a grim outlook, Guterres offered a glimmer of hope, emphasizing that current, affordable technologies could achieve the necessary emissions reductions by 2030 and 2035 if countries substantially increase their climate ambitions and commit to robust support systems.

"The path to 1.5°C is still within reach,” he said. “But only if there’s a surge in ambition and support.”

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