Greenhouse gas emissions rose to all-time high in 2023: Emission Gap Report

World: The greenhouse gas emissions rose to an all-time high in 2023, as per the announcement made by the Emission Gap Report. While alarming the global community, the United Nations Secretary General- Antonio Guterres stressed that there is an urgent need of productive climate action otherwise, the world will plunge headlong into climate disaster. 

He noted that the world is playing with fire, and it was made clear by the emission gap report outlined that there can be no more playing for time. Emphasizing on efficient solutions, he added, ”We are out of time, closing the emissions gap means, closing the ambition gap, the implementation gap and the finance gap, starting at COP 29.” 

The report highlighted that the nations have to collaborate to cut off greenhouse gases and fulfill the agendas set out by the Nationally Determined Contributions (NCDs). The NCDs which will be submitted in early 2025 ahead of COP 30, outlined that there is need of cuts of 42 percent by 2030 and the world will have to cut 57 percent gases by 2035. Only these cuts can take the world back on track for 1.5°C. 

However, the failure in the mission could lead to the maximum destruction as the temperature is expected to increase from 2.6 to 3.1°C over the course of time, which is not suitable for Earth. The temperature will drastically change the climate on the planet and harshly impact people. 

According to the United Nations, in the current situation, affordable, existing technologies can achieve the reductions needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and avoid the very worst of climate change. 

The report also shed light on the ways of getting back to the normal temperature and stated that the solar, wind, forests holding and fast emissions cuts can contribute effectively towards the goal of conserving the planet from the rising temperature. The strong NDCs are needed to be taken into consideration, otherwise, it could lead to the destruction of the mankind and the economies. 

The United Nations also stressed that there is need to maximize socio-economic and environmental co-benefits, aiming to foster the global financial architecture. In addition to that, the strong private sector can also assist in achieving these goals by unfolding six measures for the mitigation investments. 

There is a need of the productive collaboration between the G20 nations, particularly those who are responsible for the carbon emissions as they have to take the climate actions, according to the United Nations.