Climate change is becoming increasingly extreme with intense heat waves like the one we are experiencing now. However, the United Nations (UN) issued a warning indicating that the situation could worsen even further this century.
The warning signed by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, is based on the annual “Emissions Gap” study, which assesses how governments are committing to combating climate change.
According to scientists, the planet’s temperature will increase between 2.5 and 2.9ºC above the pre-industrial period if countries do not accelerate their efforts to stop Global Warming.
According to the UN, emissions need to fall by 42% by 2030 for global warming to continue within the limits determined by the Paris Agreement in 2015.
The chance of reaching this target is only 14% in the most optimistic scenario, as emissions increased by 1.2% between 2021 and 2022 instead of reducing, totaling 57.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide, a record. Furthermore, 2023 has already been recorded as the hottest day in Earth’s history.
New hope for maintaining the goal of the Paris Agreement may emerge during COP28, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which will be held in the coming days in Dubai with the presence of several global leaders.