UN report warns of potential 3.1-degree rise in global temperatures by 2030

The aim of the Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, a new report from the UN Environment Program (UNEP) indicates that current climate plans will likely result in a temperature increase between 2.6 and 3.1 degrees Celsius. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that existing policies are steering the world toward a catastrophic 3.1-degree rise by the end of the decade.

While achieving long-term commitments toward net-zero emissions could theoretically bring the temperature increase down to 1.9 degrees, UNEP states that this scenario is highly unlikely. The report stresses the need for countries to reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and by 57% by 2035.

According to UNEP, reaching the 1.5-degree target is technically achievable through green energy and technology. The G20 countries, which are responsible for the majority of emissions, have a particularly crucial role in this effort. The UN is calling on nations to strengthen their climate action plans. Additionally, at the upcoming COP29 climate conference in Baku, there is an urgent need to agree on increased funding for climate transition in developing countries.

Guterres emphasized the importance of action, stating, “We know that the cost of inaction is far greater.”