While the world has made evident progress in addressing the climate emergency, it is still way off track to meet the objectives set under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, according to a technical report on the Global Stocktake (GST) published on Friday.
The GST is a UN review to assess the collective global progress towards meeting the long-term goals of the agreement. The first two-year stocktake got underway at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in November 2021 and will conclude at COP28 in Dubai later this year.
Adopted in 2015, the Paris Agreement laid the groundwork for global cooperation to combat climate change. But the comprehensive report by the UN highlights disparities in the existing level of commitment, calling for climate action to be rooted in justice and equity.
Developing countries continue to face the disproportionate burden of climate impacts, making equity a central concern. “Equity should … increase the likelihood of meeting” climate goals, the report read, stressing the need for the most affected to be involved in crafting solutions.
Climate Finance And Technologies In Focus
The report underlined the importance of phasing out unabated fossil fuels and scaling up renewable energy for just energy transitions to net-zero emissions. It also highlighted both progress and shortfalls in climate finance, which remains a central enabler of climate action.
Concerns were also raised over global emissions not aligning with the required pathways. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, called on governments to carefully study the findings of the report and understand the ambitious action they must take next.
COP28 President-Designate Sultan Al Jaber responded to the technical report by highlighting the need for ambitious steps. He emphasized the need to keep the climate target to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels within reach.
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Global peaking of emissions is essential for meeting the Paris climate goals. It must occur between 2020 and 2025, the report noted, stressing the importance of reversing deforestation, restoring natural ecosystems and deploying climate technologies.
