INADEQUATE CLIMATE PLEDGES TO CAUSE 3.2C TEMPERATURE HIKE: UN

A green coronavirus-induced recovery could help close the emissions gap, but it is not enough for world leaders to meet their goal of limiting warming to well below 2C, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) warned.

However, world leaders could use the coronavirus pandemic to shave 25% off their greenhouse gas emissions with green recovery packages, UNEP added, the German broadcast service Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.

But they have so far continued to make choices that push them further away from targets they agreed upon five years ago to protect the climate and their citizens. By burning fossil fuels and chopping down rainforests, countries are on track to heat the world by 3.2 degrees Celsius this century, despite committing to keep it well under 2C.

The annual emissions gap report, now in its 11th year, assesses the gap between what countries committed to doing under the Paris Agreement and what they need to do to keep temperatures in check. Despite recent pledges from major polluters to cut their emissions, the report describes concrete commitments as "woefully inadequate."

UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said "the wealthy bear the greatest responsibility." The richest 1% of people, who emit more than double that of the poorest half of the global population, "will need to reduce their footprint by a factor of 30 to stay in line with the Paris Agreement targets."