Global warming would rise to 2.4C due to inefficiency of COP26 pledges

• CAT said pledges made at COP26 are not enough to meet the UN  target for 2100

• CAT asked governments to reconsider their climate targets

Global warming would rise to 2.4 degrees Celsius this century, far above safe levels, if new pledges undertaken by nations at COP26 are implemented, said analysts.

Climate Action Tracker (CAT) said on Tuesday that the commitments made by nations at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 are not enough to meet the target set by United Nations for 2100.

“Even with all new Glasgow pledges for 2030, we will emit roughly twice as much in 2030 as required for 1.5°C," CAT said, referring to the global warming goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

"Therefore, all governments need to reconsider their targets," the research coalition added.

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In an “optimistic scenario” where some countries’ plans of becoming “net zero” emitter of greenhouse gases by 2050 are implemented, warming could be limited to 1.8C this century, said CAT.

CAT even warned against meeting the longer-term pledges as most countries have not implemented the short-policies needed to fulfil those goals.

"It's all very well for leaders to claim they have a net zero target, but if they have no plans as to how to get there, and their 2030 targets are as low as so many of them are, then frankly, these 'net zero' targets are just lip service to real climate action," said Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, one of the organisations behind the CAT.

The world would warm up by 2.7C this century under “business as usual”, i.e. without implementation of any new pledges, said CAT.

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To attain the goal of 1.5C, scientists have said global greenhouse gas emissions must fall 45% from 2010 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

CAT said that almost 90% of global emissions are now covered by a net zero target, but the climate plans of majority of the countries for the next decade do not align with their long-term net zero goals.

Picture Credits: Reuters