New research underscores a critical shortfall in key climate policies required to mitigate the impending climate crisis. The State of Climate Action 2023 report, conducted by six climate think tanks and published on Tuesday, highlights that countries are falling behind on crucial strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Despite advancements in renewable energy and the adoption of electric vehicles, a substantial gap persists, further jeopardizing the ambitious goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
The report identifies specific areas demanding intensified efforts:
1. Accelerate Coal Phase-Out: The current pace of coal phase-out must increase sevenfold.
2. Rapid Deforestation Reduction: Efforts to reduce deforestation should be four times faster, addressing an area equivalent to 15 football pitches every minute.
3. Expeditious Public Transport Expansion: Globally, public transport infrastructure must be developed six times faster than current rates.
4. Scale Up Renewable Energy:The growth rate of solar and wind power needs to escalate from the current 14% to 24% annually.
5. Revise Dietary Patterns:Drastic reduction in meat consumption, particularly from ruminants like cows and sheep, aiming for two servings per week in high-consuming regions by 2030.
The failure to implement these urgent measures poses a significant challenge to achieving the target of keeping global temperatures within the 1.5°C limit. The report emphasizes the critical need to retire approximately 240 average-sized coal-fired power plants annually until 2030, construct the equivalent of three New Yorks’ worth of public transport systems yearly, and curb deforestation immediately.
Sophie Boehm, lead author of the report and a research associate at the World Resources Institute, expressed concern over the lackluster global efforts. She emphasized the necessity for immediate and transformative changes across all sectors this decade.
Despite notable progress in some areas, such as the surge in electric vehicle sales, the overall outlook remains grim. Public funding for fossil fuels continues, contradicting commitments made at the Cop26 summit. Subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuels are on the rise, with insufficient policies hindering the implementation of emissions reduction goals.
The report serves as a stark reminder that without swift and decisive action, the chance of limiting global temperature increases to a safe threshold will continue to diminish.
