UN: Fossil fuel countries’ plans threaten 1.5C limit

The future of fossil fuels will be one of the main issues at this month’s Climate Change Conference (COP28). The aim of the conference is to preserve the agreed global temperature limits.

Most of the world’s leading fossil fuel producers have committed to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. This should meet the Paris Agreement’s goals of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius.

But the annual report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) makes clear that the production plans of the 20 largest fossil fuel producers, including the United States, China, Russia, Australia and COP28 host the United Arab Emirates, are moving in the opposite direction.

In general, it has been determined that according to government plans, 110 percent of the world’s natural resources will be extracted in 2030. more fossil fuels than would be required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and 69 percent more than would correspond to 2 degrees Celsius.

“Governments’ plans to expand fossil fuel production are undermining the energy transition necessary to achieve climate neutrality and are calling into question the future of humanity,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

“From COP28, countries must come together to phase out coal, oil and gas in an orderly and just manner, so that future fluctuations are smoother and everyone on the planet benefits,” she added.

Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change. But countries in the global climate change talks have been reluctant to formally acknowledge this, and even the Paris Agreement is not clear on how to achieve its goals.

This has led to a major mismatch between governments’ production plans and the need to rapidly phase out fossil fuels to meet global climate goals, said lead author of the UNEP report, Ploy Achakulvisut, a scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute.