(VOVWORLD) - In its annual report on greenhouse gas emissions by country, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to escalate at unprecedented rates.
 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (Photo: UN) |
Without prompt action, the Earth could warm nearly 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
The report, titled "Emissions Gap," is released annually by the UNEP to assess countries' commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and compare their results to their commitment.
This year greenhouse gas emissions were 1.2% higher than last year, the highest level in history. On the current trajectory, by 2030 emissions will surpass the limit by 22 gigatons (1 gigaton = 1 billion tons), potentially increasing the Earth's temperature by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The UNEP warns that, without immediate and decisive action, the Earth's temperature could rise 2.9 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of this century. According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres the root cause of the current situation lies in countries' inability to break free from their reliance on fossil fuels.
Gutteres said: "We must reverse course. As we have seen in this report, the crucial factor is the addiction to fossil fuels. It’s time to establish a clear phase-out with a time limit linked to the 1.5 degrees. And it’s time to set phase-out policies."
According to the UNEP report, to adhere to the commitment made in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and prevent the Earth from warming another 1.5 degrees Celsius, countries must reduce their current greenhouse gas emissions at least 42% by 2030. Many climate experts doubt this target can be achieved given the degree of disagreement between countries over the elimination of fossil fuels.