PARIS, Oct 28, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The world's current climate pledges would
only cut planet-warming emissions by 2.6 percent by 2030, the UN said Monday,
barely a fraction of what is needed to avert the worst impacts of global
warming.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said existing commitments will produce nowhere
near the 43 percent reduction needed this decade to cap global warming to the
safer agreed limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"The report's findings are stark but not surprising -- current national
climate plans fall miles short of what's needed to stop global heating from
crippling every economy, and wrecking billions of lives and livelihoods
across every country," Stiell said.

The findings come just weeks before the start of the UN COP29 climate summit
in Azerbaijan, and as nations prepare to submit their updated round of
national climate plans in early 2025.

Those must present "bolder" plans to urgently slash emissions of greenhouse
gases like carbon dioxide that drive warming, Stiell said.

Under the existing pledges, 51.5 billion tonnes of CO2 and its equivalent in
other planet-warming gases would be released in 2030.

"Greenhouse gas pollution at these levels will guarantee a human and economic
trainwreck for every country, without exception," he said.

This report "must be a turning point, ending the era of inadequacy and
sparking a new age of acceleration, with much bolder new national climate
plans from every country due next year", he added.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday also warned of a chasm
between what countries have promised and what they must achieve.

The 2015 Paris agreement, signed by nearly 200 nations, committed to keeping
global warming "well below" 2C compared to pre-industrial levels and if
possible, the safer limit of 1.5C.

To have a 50-percent chance of containing warming to 1.5C, global emissions
must fall by 43 percent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, according to the
IPCC, the experts commissioned by the UN.