Ahead of the COP28 summit, a new UN report reveals alarming increases in greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the urgency for decisive climate action.
-- Matt Simon reports forWired.
In short:
- The title of the UN Environment Programme succinctly captures the shortcomings of global climate action: “Broken Record—Temperatures Hit New Highs, Yet World Fails to Cut Emissions (Again).”
- The gap is widening between current emissions and Paris Agreement targets.
- The report highlights record temperatures and slow progress in renewable energy adoption.
Key quote:
"We've taken stock, we know what the problems are. But the question is, what will leaders at COP28 agree to do about it?"
— Taryn Fransen, report co-author.
Why this matters:
The UN report sheds light on the critical state of our climate and argues for rapid and substantial policy changes to mitigate global warming. Arguments about adverse economic impacts of climate action often weaken political will, yet the economic consequences of unmitigated climate change are enormous, from public health to agriculture to public infrastructure.
What do you think are effective arguments for building political will to accelerate emissions reductions and transform the energy sector?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
