Keeping Climate Change Under Control Requires Six Times More Ambition
New promises by countries to reduce their carbon footprint will cut emissions by 7% from 2019 levels, falling short from the 43% reduction needed.
A young climate activist holding a placard reading "Save our planet" during a protest march on the "Youth Day" at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, UK, on Nov. 5, 2021.
Photographer: Jonne Roriz/BloombergThe international community needs to be six times more ambitious than it has been in the past year if it wants to avoid catastrophic climate change and keep global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
If fulfilled, the latest round of climate pledges made by countries would result in an additional emissions reduction of 5.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared with the initial round of commitments, according to a report by nonprofit World Resources Institute released on Wednesday.