Global emissions can be halved by 2030: IPCC
New Delhi, April 4
The fight to keep global heating under 1.5°Celsius has reached the “now or never” territory, says the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
Urgent climate action is critical to sustainable development, and action needs to be taken now to limit global warming to 1.5°C, said the report “Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change” by world’s leading experts.
According to climate scientists, emissions can be halved by 2030 with major transitions in the energy sector, including a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use.
In 2010-2019, the average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history. The report cautioned that limiting warming to around 1.5°C would require global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and reduce by 43 per cent by 2030, and at the same time, methane would also need to be reduced by about a third.
“All unabated coal-fired power plants need to be closed by 2050 if the world is to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C,” it added.
“Limiting global warming will require major transitions in the energy sector. This will involve a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen),” it added.
