Current national plans for CO2 emissions reduction will fall ten gigatons short of the cut required, if the UN is to meet its target of limiting the global temperature rise to +2°C. EurActiv France reports.
With less than three months to go before the Paris Climate Conference (COP 21), Monday (31 August) marks the start of a week of international climate negotiations in Bonn. It has become clear that the success of the main objective of a potential Paris agreement, to limit global warming to +2°C by 2050, is far from guaranteed.
Ten gigatons too much CO2 by 2030
So far only 56 countries, representing 60% of global CO2 emissions, have submitted their national contributions to the United Nations' efforts.
"The models show that the current commitments will not allow us to keep the temperature rise below +2°C," said Laurence Tubiana, France's lead negotiator for the COP 21. "But we can take immediate action to reduce the ten gigaton carbon gap," she added, in reference to the contributions from private companies and local communities that are flooding in to the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
For the complete article, please see Euractiv.com.
Pakistan’s unprecedented climate shocks make it clear: regional cooperation for managing shared waters is desperately needed. To halt the increasing impacts on agriculture and livelihoods that cripple the country’s economy, diplomacy is of paramount importance. In our interview, Moeen Khan explains how territorial and ethnic tensions with India hinder much-needed transboundary solutions – and how the international community can help.
Environmental defenders in Brazil are at risk — last year, 57 were assassinated and the numbers are increasing. The UN has launched a new initiative to address the escalating violence. This article shows the challenges faced by an activist from the Amazon region who fights for justice, and it notes how the Brazilian government can save lives while preventing unregulated exploitation in the region.
Changes are occurring that could make climate action a driver of the domestic agenda for economic and social progress and for international cooperation. With the help of market forces and technological advances, the tide is moving toward climate action. Paul Joffe argues that a key to success is a strategy that draws public support and makes climate policy a force in a larger industrial renaissance.
The world can achieve slower climate warming, preventing temperatures from rising by more than 1.5˚C, a global scientific panel says. But time is short.