World's climate pledges would cut emissions a tenth of what's needed: UN
Summary
A UN report says the latest national climate pledges would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by only 6 percent by 2035, far short of the 60 percent reduction scientists say is needed to keep warming near 1.5C. The findings come as COP31 approaches and the United States has withdrawn again from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump.
Key Points
- The latest climate pledges would reduce global emissions by just 6 percent by 2035, according to a UN synthesis of 154 countries' submissions.
- Scientists say emissions must fall about 60 percent from 2019 levels by 2035 to have a reasonable chance of limiting warming to 1.5C.
- The report says emissions cuts would still reach only 9 percent even if countries fully implement conditional targets.
- UN climate chief Simon Stiell said COP31 in Turkey could help address key implementation gaps, while climate finance reached $1.9 trillion a year in 2023 and 2024.
