Too little progress on climate protection worldwide

Sluggish Global Climate Action: A Growing Concern

New research indicates that worldwide efforts to combat climate change are significantly trailing behind the agreed goal of capping global warming within acceptable limits. This lag is evident across sectors such as energy, industry, transportation, and agriculture and forestry, among others. Nevertheless, progress in electric vehicle sales aligns somewhat with the objective of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

As stated in the recent "State of Climate Action" report published by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the NewClimate Institute, Climate Analytics, and the Bezos Earth Fund, a considerable need for speed exists in the aforementioned sectors. Sophie Boehm, the study's lead author from the WRI, stressed the failure of global politicians to adequately address climate change despite decades of warnings and persistent calls for action. According to Boehm, progress in only one sector—electric vehicle sales—is in line with the 1.5-degree target by 2030, as per the report's findings.

Threads of Hope in the Report

The report highlights some positive trends, including:

• Solar and wind energy production has seen an average annual growth of 14% over recent years. However, the required annual growth rate to meet the 1.5-degree target by 2030 is 24%.
• Phasing out coal would necessitate expediting the process seven times over. This means shutting down approximately 240 coal-fired power stations per year up until 2030.
• The annual area impacted by forest destruction increased from 5.4 million hectares in 2021 to 5.8 million hectares in 2022, equating to the size of Croatia.

Continuing Investment in Gas and Coal Powers

Claire Fyson, a researcher at Climate Analytics, criticizes the ongoing investment in gas and coal power in the face of the intensifying climate crisis. At the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference this December, governments worldwide must collaborate to establish a fair and rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, acknowledging the urgency of climate protection measures.

Accelerating Climate Action Across Sectors

To speed up climate action in critical sectors like energy, industry, transportation, and agriculture and forestry, world governments can adopt the following measures:

Energy Sector

1. Scale up renewable energy production, prioritizing solar and wind power.
2. Enhance energy efficiency by doubling the global annual average rate of improvement by 2030.
3. Transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, ensuring a fair, orderly, and equitable transition.
4. Implement Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) solutions to reduce emissions from industrial processes.

Industry Sector

1. Establish science-based targets for emissions reduction, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
2. Adopt energy efficiency measures that reduce specific energy requirements and transition to low-emission or climate-neutral energy sources.
3. Foster sustainable practices, such as reducing internal emissions and making entire supply chains climate-neutral by 2050.

Transportation Sector

1. Encourage the adoption of electric vehicles to minimize emissions.
2. Enhance public transportation systems to lessen reliance on private vehicles.
3. Support the development and use of sustainable alternative fuels, such as biofuels.

Agriculture and Forestry Sector

1. Promote sustainable agriculture practices that decrease emissions and boost carbon sequestration, including agroforestry and regenerative farming.
2. Prioritize large-scale reforestation and afforestation programs to augment carbon sinks.
3. Encourage soil carbon sequestration techniques, such as no-till farming and cover cropping.

Global Coordination

1. Update Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with ambitious emission reduction targets, like the UK’s 81% reduction target by 2035.
2. Facilitate international cooperation to share best practices, technological resources, and financial assets, particularly in developing nations.
3. Scale up carbon removal technologies, such as BECCS, DAC, and ERW, to eliminate historic emissions and prevent future warming.

[1] World Resources Institute [2] Climate Analytics [3] LANXESS [4] International Energy Agency (IEA) [5] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)