UN warns rapid emissions cuts needed to achieve 1.5C climate goal, current pledges insufficient

The current pace of climate action is inadequate to meet the goals of limiting catastrophic global warming. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the world is "paying a terrible price" for inaction on global warming, with a projected 3.1C of warming this century. National pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions fall significantly short of what is needed, with only a 2.6 percent reduction in global emissions by 2030, compared to the 43 percent cut required to stay within the Paris Agreement target of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Global greenhouse gas concentrations reached new record highs in 2023, with levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide all increasing last year.