UN says global climate action not enough to reach Paris Agreement goals

The UN has called for more ambitious climate goals in order to reach the goals of limiting the global rise in temperature by 2 °C—ideally 1.5°C— by 2050.

According to the latest NDC Synthesis report published by the body, the current climate goals set out by both nations and the private sector are not enough to reach the climate goals set out by the Paris Climate Accord.

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The report assesses the measured taken by 75 countries’ new or updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submissions up to 31 December 2020.

The report was requested by various parties to the Paris Agreement to measure the progress of national climate targets.

The report found that many of the parties have increased their climate ambitions to reduce emissions.

However, the NDC's laid out in the study found that at current levels, emissions changes would be very small - less than 1% - versus 2010 levels.

By contrast, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has indicated that emission reduction ranges to meet the 1.5°C temperature goal should be around -45% on 2010 levels.

The 2020s have been referred to as the "decade of change" by the European Union, who held climate panels at the EU Industry Days event shortly before this report was released.

A number of Paris Climate Accord-aligned parties have set themselves goals of achieving complete net-neutrality within the next few decades.

UN Secretary-General António Guterre said: “2021 is a make or break year to confront the global climate emergency. The science is clear, to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, we must cut global emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels. 

"Today’s interim report from the UNFCCC is a red alert for our planet. It shows governments are nowhere close to the level of ambition needed to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement."

Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, said: “This report shows that current levels of climate ambition are very far from putting us on a pathway that will meet our Paris Agreement goals.

“While we acknowledge the recent political shift in momentum towards stronger climate action throughout the world, decisions to accelerate and broaden climate action everywhere must be taken now. This underlines why COP 26 must be the moment when we get on track towards a green, clean, healthy and prosperous world.”

Espinosa clarified that the Synthesis Report is a “snapshot, not a full picture” of the NDCs as COVID-19 posed significant challenges for many nations with respect to completing their submissions in 2020.

She revealed another report would be released ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow later this year and called for all parties to make their submissions as soon as possible.

“We congratulate Parties that rose to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in 2020, honoured their commitments under the Paris Agreement and submitted their NDCs by the deadline,” she added, closing by saying it was time for all parties to step up and set themselves more ambitious goals.

The coronavirus pandemic has provided parties with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reform their economies to become more sustainable as many sectors that rely on traditional methods have been hit hard by the pandemic.

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The quality of NDCs, including data on mitigation targets, has clearly increased, and implementation is addressed much more comprehensively, the UN said.

Incoming COP26 President Alok Sharma said: "This report should serve as an urgent Call to Action and I am asking all countries, particularly major emitters, to submit ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets”.

 "We must recognise that the window for action to safeguard our planet is closing fast."

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