PLEA Network

1 March 2021, Renew Economy: “Not even close:” UN slams Australia and other rich countries for weak climate efforts. United Nations secretary-general António Guterres has called on wealthy countries, including Australia, to commit to larger cuts to greenhouse gas emissions after a new report published by the UNFCCC found targets being set by national governments are nowhere near enough to limit global warming to safe levels. The interim NDC Synthesis Report published by the UNFCCC on Friday detailed the results of an assessment of the emissions reduction commitments officially announced by national governments, including those of Australia, finding that they “fall far short” of the reductions needed to limit global warming to levels agreed to under the Paris Agreement. The synthesis report reviewed the official emissions reduction targets that have been announced by 75 countries under the Paris Agreement, comparing them to the emissions reductions needed to keep global warming to the 1.5 or 2 degrees of temperature increases that were set as goals under the treaty. Read more here