Emission pledges not enough to avoid worst consequences of global warming: UN report
November 24th, 2010 - 5:25 pm ICT by ANILondon, Nov 24 (ANI): The pledges made last year by 80 countries to reduce green house gas emissions are falling short of what is required to avoid the worst consequences of global warming, as it is estimated that the temperature would rise by up to 4C during this century, according to a UN report.
The UN Environment Programme (Unep) report comes days before the opening of this year’s climate summit.
According to the BBC, the report concludes that there is a significant gap between what science says is necessary to prevent temperature rise and what governments have pledged to achieve.
However it hopes that with extra political will, global warming could be kept much lower.
On Sunday, scientists released data showing that the recession curbed emissions from fossil-fuel burning by only 1.3 percent during 2009, and that they are set to begin rising again as the global economy gets pulled up once again.
Unep’s analysis shows that even if governments implement all they have pledged to do, that would “…imply a temperature increase of between 2.5-5C (from pre-industrial times) before the end of the century”, the report said.
As the global average temperature is already about 0.7C above pre-industrial times, this implies that anything up to 4C during the coming century is possible, Unep said..
Achim Steiner, Unep’s executive director, said: “There is a gap between the science and current ambition levels,” But what this report shows is that the options on the table right now in the negotiations can get us almost 60 percent of the way there. This is a good first step.”
The report’s main conclusion is that “emission levels in 2020″ implied by current pledges do not seem to be consistent with 2C or 1.5C temperature limits.
“To stay within these limits, emission levels would have to be lower in 2020 and then be followed by considerable reductions,” it added.
Different blocs of countries want the international community to commit to limiting the global average temperature rise since pre-industrial times to 2C or 1.5C, though a few are demanding 1C. (ANI)
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