Top economies will produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas by 2030 as those agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement to curb global warming, the UN said Wednesday.
The report, published just days ahead of the Glasgow Climate Summit on 31 October, has shown that most of the big oil and gas producers – and even some big coal producers – plan to increase their output by 2030 or even beyond.
Under the Pact, nations agreed with a long-term objective: limiting average temperature increases to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, trying to keep them lower.
Following one of the Unep Emissions Gap Report series and designed to act as a complementary analysis, this report shows the huge gap between countries “projected fossil fuel output and the levels of global output needed to limit warming to 1.5 ° C and 2 ° C. This is in part due to the need for adapted biofuels.
The report, compiled by the U.N. Environment Programme and other researchers, concludes that the world will see oil and gas production increase over the next two decades and coal production only decline slightly.
“Fossil-fuel-producing nations must recognize their role and responsibility in closing the production gap and steering us towards a safe climate future,”Måns Nilsson
“Fossil-fuel-producing nations must recognize their role and responsibility in closing the production gap and steering us towards a safe climate future,” says Måns Nilsson, managing director at Stockholm Environment Institute, adding that because countries are increasingly committed to net-zero emissions by mid-century, they must also recognize the rapid reduction of fossil fuel production required by their climate targets.
There is still time to limit long-term warming to 1.5°C but only just. At #COP26 govts. must take immediate steps to close the fossil fuel production gap & ensure a just and equitable transition.
This is what climate ambition looks like.#ProductionGaphttps://t.co/aawuetAbzQ
— Inger Andersen (@andersen_inger) October 20, 2021
