The United Nations climate secretariat made public a ‘synthesis report’ on the results of three meetings held so far to discuss progress achieved by countries in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement of 2015.
- The synthesis report ties into a larger exercise called the ‘global stocktake,’ that is expected to take place once in five years.
- In 2015, countries committed in Paris to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century and “as far as possible” below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
- Countries also agreed to periodically review, or take stock of efforts, made by individual countries in containing greenhouse gases and transitioning their fossil-fuel dependent energy systems to renewable sources.
Key points
- The report lays out 17 ‘key findings’ that overall suggests that the world is not on track to achieve Paris Agreement targets.
- While rapid change could be “disruptive,” countries should work on ensuring that the economic transition be equitable and inclusive.
- It stated that much more ambition was needed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 and further by 60% in 2035 and reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 globally.
- Higher temperatures due to climate change affected almost everyone across the globe, from June to August.
- Summer in the Northern Hemisphere broke world records – with the three-month period from June until the end of August the hottest ever.
- Renewable energy has to be scaled up and all ‘unabated fossil fuels’ (for example, coal plants without carbon capture and storage mechanisms) were to be rapidly eliminated.
- Deforestation and land-degradation have to be halted and reversed and agricultural practices critical to reducing emissions and conserving and enhancing carbon sinks have to be encouraged.
- Averting, minimising and addressing ‘loss and damage,’ requires urgent action across climate and development policies to manage risks comprehensively and provide support to impacted communities.
