UN Calls for 18% Reduction in Global Emissions by 2030
Even if countries fulfill their updated pledges, UNEP projections indicate global temperatures could rise by 2.6°C above pre-industrial levels.
Countries are failing to translate long-term emission reduction goals into concrete short-term measures, according to the organization's report.
The authors note that emissions in 2025 remained largely at the previous year's levels. However, they do not describe this as a peak or a sustained plateau due to uncertainties surrounding geopolitics and the growing reliance on fossil fuels, despite the rapid development of renewable energy.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stated that the window of opportunity to limit warming to 1.5°C without temporarily exceeding the threshold has closed, but countries can still make any overshoot short-lived. To achieve this, greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by 45% by 2045; one of the quickest methods, the authors suggest, is reducing methane emissions.
