Dramatic mobilisation needed to meet Paris Agreement climate goals: UN Emissions Gap Report 2024

Without “global mobilisation on a scale and pace never seen before”, the world will not meet its Paris Agreement target of holding global warming to a 1.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature, the United Nations Emissions Gap Report 2024 released on Thursday said.

Globally, nations would need to decrease emissions by 7.5% annually to stay on target. In contrast, India saw a 6.1% increase in its total greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. China saw a 5.2% increase in emissions while the United States and the European Union managed to decrease their emissions, with the European Union driving down its emissions 7.5%.

To meet the target, nations need to lower emissions 42% before 2030 compared to 2019 levels, and 57% by 2035.

“Current promises are nowhere near these levels, putting us on track for best-case global warming of 2.6°C this century,” the researchers observed.

This comes two weeks before the beginning of the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties, more commonly known as COP29, where countries will submit their new nationally determined contributions for decreasing emissions.

India emitted 2.9 tonnes of greenhouse gases per capita in 2023, equivalent to increases in the African Union and the world’s 47 least-developed countries. In contrast, the United States emitted 18 tonnes...

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