Emissions Gap Report 2022

About:

• The report was released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• It is managed by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre.
• It serves as a “scientifically authoritative source of timely and policy-relevant information to key decision-makers,” guiding the UNFCCC process and implementing the Paris Agreement.
• The Paris Agreement, adopted by 196 countries in 2015 at COP 21, was aimed at limiting global warming and maintaining the average global temperature rise, ideally, to below 1.5°C.

Highlights:

• The report found that the updated pledges by countries, also known as nationally determined contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, only reduce the projected greenhouse emissions by 1 per cent by 2030.
• It is roughly equivalent to 0.5 gigatonnes of CO2.
• This is when a 45 per cent reduction is required for the world to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• The pre-industrial period is generally considered to be between 1850 and 1900.