The 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), held in Dubai later this month, “must be the place to urgently close the climate ambition gap”, as emissions continue to rise and climate chaos intensifies, UN chief António Guterres insisted on Tuesday.
Mr. Guterres was commenting on the latest report by UN climate change body UNFCCC, which shows, he said, that global climate ambition stagnated over the past year and national climate plans are “strikingly misaligned” with the science.
The UN’s climate change body says that global greenhouse gas emissions need to fall by 45 per cent by the end of this decade compared to 2010 levels, to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres said: "Under current national plans, global greenhouse gas emissions are set to increase 9% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels. Yet the science is clear: emissions must fall by 45% by the end of this decade compared to 2010 levels to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees."
‘’Governments must come together to line up the necessary finance, support and partnerships to increase ambition in their national climate plans and swiftly put those plans into action. And developed countries must rebuild trust by delivering on their finance commitments."
‘’Inch by inch progress will not do. It is time for a climate ambition supernova in every country, city, and sector," he added.