About the report:
The “Emissions Gap Report 2021: The Heat Is On” is the 12th edition in an annual series that provides an overview of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
GHG’s Emission:
- Following an unprecedented drop of 5.4% in 2020, global carbon dioxide emissions are bouncing back to pre-COVID levels, and concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere continue to rise.
Large Emission Gap:
- Compared to previous unconditional NDCs, the new pledges for 2030 reduce projected 2030 emissions by only 7.5%, whereas 30% is needed for 2°C and 55% is needed for 1.5°C.
Global warming at the end of the century is estimated at 2.7°C if all unconditional 2030 pledges are fully implemented.
- Reduction of methane emissions from the fossil fuel, waste and agriculture sectors can contribute significantly to closing the emissions gap and reduce warming in the short term.
New Mitigation commitments:
- New mitigation pledges for 2030 show some progress, but their aggregate effect on global emissions is insufficient.
- As a group, G20 members are not on track to achieve either their original or new 2030 pledges. Ten G20 members are on track to achieve their previous NDCs, while seven are off track.
Long-term net-zero emissions pledges:
- A promising development is the announcement of long-term net-zero emissions pledges by 52 parties, covering more than half of global emissions. However, these pledges show large ambiguities.
- Few of the G20 members’ NDC targets put emissions on a clear path towards net-zero pledges.
- Report suggests– There is an urgent need to back these pledges up with near-term targets and actions that give confidence that net-zero emissions can ultimately be achieved and the remaining carbon budget kept.
Solutions proposed by report:
- Carbon markets can deliver real emissions abatement, but only when rules are clearly defined, to ensure that transactions reflect actual reductions in emissions, and supported by arrangements to track progress and provide transparency.
