The report warns that greenhouse gas emissions increased again after three years of stability

, December 3, begins the Summit of the Climate of Katowice (Poland)

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Countries need to triple their climate commitments of reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases to meet the objective enshrined in the Paris Agreement of limiting to 2 ° c global warming relative to pre-industrial times and even five times the committed effort for that rise in temperature is 1.5 ºC.

this is reflected in the ninth annual report of the UN Environment programme (before Unep) on the disparity of emissions, made public this Tuesday, a few days before the start of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the Convention United Nations Framework on Climate Change (or Climate Summit), which will take place in Katowice (Poland) from 3 to 14 December.

The main report of the UN Environment evaluates every year the so-called “gap ” emissions”, that is to say, the disparity between the levels of emissions expected in 2030 and required to comply with the objectives of 2ºC or 1.5 ºC.

The last ‘gap Report emissions shows that the emissions of greenhouse gases increased again in 2017 after three years of stability and stresses the need to begin to decline before 2030 to ensure the fulfillment of the objective of 2°C. If current trends continue global warming will be 3°C at the end of the century, and from then on will be even greater.

The document, prepared by an international team of scientists, indicates that global emissions reached in 2017 historic levels of 53,5 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Gtco 2) and there is no evidence that they will start to decline in the coming years.

Only 57 countries meet

Only 57 countries are on the way to start a downward trend before 2030, according to the study. In general, if you want to put the world on track to limiting global warming to 2°C, global emissions of greenhouse gas emissions must be 25% lower in 2030 compared to 2017.

This analysis makes it clear that the current pace of national action is insufficient to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, since the increased emissions and slow the climate action imply that the gap in emissions is now larger than ever.

“The recent IPCC report on global warming of 1.5 ° C activated the fire alarms at the global level. This report investigates the causes of that fire,” said the deputy executive director of UN Environment, Joyce Msuya, who added: “The science is clear: governments must move forward faster and with greater urgency. The good news is that we have at our disposal all the means to extinguish the fire.”

although the authors of the study highlight that there is still the possibility of closing the gap of emissions and to keep global warming below 2°C, warn that the type of drastic action and large-scale that is urgently needed is yet to be seen.

tax Measures

Governments, companies, investors, universities and civil society organizations are increasingly more engaged with the climate action bold. These institutions are increasingly recognized as a key element to achieve the overall objectives. Although estimates on the potential reduction of emissions of these sectors vary widely, and some mentioned up to 19 Gtco 2 in 2030, which would be enough to close the gap to 2°C.

This scenario, accompanied by a fiscal policy that are thoughtfully designed, has an even greater potential. “When governments take taxes on fossil fuels and fiscal policy measures to subsidize the alternatives of low-emission, can stimulate the right investments in the energy sector and significantly reduce carbon emissions”, underlined Jian Liu, chief scientist of the UN Environment.

Liu stressed that, “fortunately, the potential to use fiscal policy as an incentive is increasingly recognized”. “They are already implemented or scheduled 51 initiatives of fixation of carbon prices, which cover approximately 15% of global emissions. If you were to eliminate all subsidies on fossil fuels, global carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 10% for 2030. It is also essential to establish the correct price for carbon. A $ 70 per tonne of CO2 in some countries it is possible to reduce the emissions by up to 40%”, he explained.

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