The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that global warming could worsen beyond earlier projections, with the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement contributing to the rise. Its latest report says that even if countries fulfil their climate commitments, global temperatures could rise by 2.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100. This is two-tenths of a degree higher than last year’s projection.
The report says the United States recorded the largest increase in greenhouse gas emissions among the world’s 20 major economies last year. Its emissions rose by 133 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, driven by higher electricity demand and increased coal-fired power generation. The report estimates that the US policy shift could add one-tenth of a degree Celsius to global temperatures by the end of the century.
The UN has warned that the world is falling short of the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to well below two degrees Celsius, preferably 1.5 degrees. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for urgent action, while the UNEP says global emissions must fall by 18 per cent by 2030 and 69 per cent by 2040 to limit climate risks.
