By Atoyebi Nike
The United Nations has warned that current national pledges would only reduce global carbon emissions by about 10 per cent by 2035 far below the 60 per cent cut required to keep global warming within 1.5°C.
Ahead of the COP30 climate talks beginning November 10 in Brazil, the UN said most nations missed the deadline to submit updated climate plans, with only 64 of nearly 200 countries meeting the September cut-off.
UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell said humanity is “bending the emissions curve downwards for the first time, but still not nearly fast enough.” The assessment included partial commitments from major emitters such as China, pledging a 7–10 per cent cut by 2035, and the European Union’s plan to slash emissions by up to 72.5 per cent from 1990 levels.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that slow global action makes it “inevitable” that the 1.5°C target will be breached temporarily, warning of severe consequences before temperatures can be brought back down later this century.
The findings come amid renewed U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump, as well as geopolitical and economic headwinds that threaten climate cooperation.
