How much has the world really progressed since COP 26? Today, it is a big question in the mind of every concerned people. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an invisible gas, however, still in developing countries (including India) people are happy to see no blackish smoke from the automobile tailpipe. According to a very recent report from the World Economic Forum, “Total global CO2 emissions have climbed by approximately 0.8% this year, but they remain below the high set in 2019 and have been relatively flat since 2015.”
The report also states that the global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement have increased by 1.0% in 2022, new estimates suggest, hitting a new record high of 36.6bn tonnes of CO2 (GtCO2). To explain the reason, the report presents that an increase in fossil emissions in 2022 has been primarily driven by a strong increase in oil emissions as global travel continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Coal and gas emissions grew more slowly, though both had record emissions in 2022.
Coming back to the original question: are we really progressing towards a sustainable world? What have we seen in 2022? The answer lies in the preambular remark of COP 27. We have seen devastating floods and unprecedented heat waves, severe droughts and formidable storms, all unequivocal signs of the unfolding climate emergency. At the same time, millions of people throughout the world are confronting the impacts of simultaneous crises in energy, food, water and cost of living, aggravated by severe geopolitical conflicts and tensions.
COP27 is taking place against the backdrop of inadequate ambition to curb greenhouse gas emissions. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, CO2 emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030, compared to 2010 levels to meet the central Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.50C by the end of this century. This is crucial to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall. Will we, the global citizens, be a bit serious now?
Pravita Iyer
Publisher & Director
