‘Large discrepancies’ could generate a 110% increase by 2030, throwing humanity’s future into question.
The UNEP reported that planned fossil fuel production by major nations exceeds the 1.5°C limit by 460% for coal, 82% for gas, and 29% for oil.
But the annual United Nations Environment Programme Production Gap report makes it clear that the production plans of the top 20 producing countries — including the United States, China, Russia, Australia and COP28 host United Arab Emirates — are heading in the opposite direction. Burning fossil fuels is by far the main cause of climate change, accounting for most of the planet-heating carbon pollution driving global warming and the ensuing barrage of temperature records, devastating weather disasters and sea level rise.
The report said the United States — the top oil and gas producer globally — has encouraged accelerated domestic production of oil and gas since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even as it ramped up climate policies. China, the world leader in renewable power, is committed to peaking emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon-neutral by 2060.Two years ago at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow countries agreed to “phase-down unabated coal power”, the first time a fossil fuel had been explicitly mentioned in the negotiated agreement. Abated generally means to capture emission before they go into the atmosphere.