At the COP29 climate summit, scientists released the results of a study showing that the world will be able to limit global warming to 1.5°C only if it reaches zero CO2 emissions by the end of the 2030s instead of 2050, as previously expected.
This was reported by Euronews.
According to scientists from the Global Carbon Project, this year the world will emit 37.4 billion metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is 0.8% or 300 million metric tons more than in 2023.
Presenting the results of their study at the UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan, the researchers noted that this year's increase in pollution is not as significant as last year's 1.4% jump. However, they emphasized that there is still “no indication” that the world has already reached the peak of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
"If the world continues to burn fossil fuels at today's levels, it has 6 years before temperatures exceed pre-industrial levels by 1.5°C, the limit agreed at the 2015 climate talks in Paris," said study co-author Stephen Sitch.
According to the UN, the Earth has already warmed by 1.3°C.
"We are clearly not doing enough on a global scale to reduce emissions," said study co-author Mike O'Sullivan, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter.
Several UN reports state that the world must cut emissions by 42% by 2030 to have a chance of limiting warming to the internationally agreed threshold of 1.5°C.
Who demonstrates the growth of carbon emissions
The Global Carbon Project team released data on the 4 largest carbon emitters – China, the US, India and Europe. It also collected more detailed data for about 200 countries for the year 2023.
According to the obtained figures, further growth of carbon emissions occurs mainly in China and developing countries.
China, which accounts for 32% of the world's annual carbon dioxide emissions, has not only fallen short of its peak, but has increased it by 0.2% since 2023, contrary to analysts' expectations.
According to scientists, carbon pollution in India will jump by 4.6% in 2024.
In which countries has there been a reduction in the volume of CO2
Carbon emissions declined in both the United States and the European Union. In the US, they decreased by 0.6%. This was mainly due to a reduction in the use of coal, oil, and cement. In 2024, the United States accounted for 13% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
In total, 22 countries have shown a steady decline in emissions, O'Sullivan says. The largest reductions from 2014 to 2023 occurred in the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
In Europe, which accounts for 7% of global carbon pollution, CO2 emissions decreased by 3.8% compared to last year, thanks to a significant reduction in emissions from coal combustion.
As EcoPolitic recently reported, in his opening speech at the UN Climate Change Conference COP29, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev openly defended fossil fuels.
As a reminder, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Center, in 2023, the world broke a new record for greenhouse gas emissions.
