The world is heading for a climate catastrophe.

The world is heading for a climate catastrophe without urgent action, according to the UN Secretary General.

The window for taking urgent climate action is closing fast. Unless countries dramatically step up their efforts to tackle the climate crisis, the world faces a global catastrophe, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned today.

António Guterres' comments come amid the release of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP ) Emissions Needs and Prospects Gap Report 2022 , which shows that as part of the contributions Nationally Determined (NDC) data, the world is heading for a global warming of 2.8 degrees by the end of the century.

Simply put, an NDC is a climate action plan to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Each party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC and update it every five years. Despite a call for stronger NDCs for 2030, the UNEP report finds that progress since COP26 in Glasgow last year has been insufficient.

“The recommendations in today's report are clear,” said António Guterres. “End our dependence on fossil fuels. Avoid lock-in of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Invest massively in renewable energies. »

“Commitments to carbon neutrality are worthless without supporting plans, policies and actions. Our world can no longer afford greenwashing, bogus movers or stragglers,” he added. “We need to close the emissions gap before climate catastrophe closes in on us all. »

António Guterres' warning comes less than two weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP27 ), where world leaders will discuss ways to tackle the climate emergency - from building resilience and adaptation to its impacts to the financing of climate action.

As climate impacts intensify, the 2022 Emissions Gap Report finds that only urgent system-wide transformation can avert accelerated climate catastrophe. The report examines how to achieve this transformation through actions in the sectors of electricity supply, industry, transport and construction, as well as food and financial systems.

Source UNEP :

UNEP is at the forefront of efforts to support the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise to well below 2°C and aiming – to be sure – at 1.5 ° C, compared to pre-industrial levels. At the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference ( COP27 ), the focus will be on adaptation, financing and a just transition to a low-carbon future. You can do your part by taking action now to reduce your own consumption and by speaking out to voice your concerns about the future of the planet.