The world tries to limit the damage when greenhouse gases hit a record high

The concentration of greenhouse gases hit a record last year and the world is “very far” from slowing the rise in temperatures, said the United Nations (UN), a warning of the tough task to be faces the climate discussion in Glasgow to avoid dangerous levels of warming.

A report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the HIM-HER-IT showed that carbon dioxide rose to 413.2 parts per million in 2020, a higher rise than the average for the past decade, despite a temporary decline in emissions during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The general secretary of the OMM, Petteri Taalas, stated that the current rate of increase in gases that trap heat would cause a rise in temperature “very superior”To the 2015 Paris Agreement target of 1.5 ° C above the pre-industrial average for this century.

“We are very far from the goal. We have to review our industrial, energy and transportation systems, as well as our entire way of life”, He stated, and called for the commitments to be dramatically deepened at the COP26 conference that begins on Sunday.

The Scottish city of Glasgow was putting the final touches ahead of the climate summit, which may be the world’s last chance to limit global warming to the maximum limit of 1.5 ° to 2 ° Celsius above the pre-industrial average temperature, set out in the Accord. from Paris.

“This summit is going to be very, very hard”Said the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, during a press conference with children.

“I am very concerned because it could go wrong and we may not get the agreements we need, and it is a matter of trial and error, it is very, very difficult, but I think it can be done.”He added.

The German government announced that the Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Glasgow to participate.

The stakes are high

The stakes for the planet are enormous, including the impact on economic livelihoods around the world and the future stability of the global financial system.

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia declared on Saturday that the world’s leading oil exporter aims to reach emissions “net zero”Of greenhouse gases, produced mostly by burning fossil fuels, in 2060, ten years later than the United States.

An official plan unveiled in Ottawa showed that developed countries are confident they can reach their goal of delivering more than $ 100 billion a year to the poorest countries to tackle climate change by 2023, three years late.

The plan on how to reach the goal, drawn up by Canada and Germany, urged developed countries to collaborate more and complained that private funding had not lived up to expectations.

A Reuters survey of economists found that reaching the Paris goal of zero net carbon emissions will require investments in the green transition worth 2% to 3% of global production each year until 2050, far less than the cost. economical to do nothing.

Governments have spent a total of US $ 10.8 trillion – or 10.2% of world production – since January 2020 in response to the global warming pandemic. COVID-19.

We do not have time

A trajectory “without changes”Leading to temperature increases of 1.6 °, 2.4 ° and 4.4 ° Celsius for 2030, 2050 and 2100, respectively, would mean a loss of production of 2.4% by 2030, 10% by 2050 and 18% by 2100, according to the median of the responses to the survey.

In London, climate activists resumed their campaign to block the main roads by disrupting traffic in the city’s financial district, while in Madrid a few dozen people staged a sit-in protest, briefly blocking Gran Vía.

“Greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate catastrophes across the globe. We do not have time. It is late and if we do not join the action against what is happening, we will not have time to save what remains”Said Alberto, a 27-year-old sociologist who was participating in the protest.