UNEP Report Shows Current Emissions Targets Are Not Enough to Prevent Devastating Climate Change

A new climate modeling report from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) shows that emissions pledges made at the Copenhagen Conference will not be enough to prevent global temperatures from rising past the breaking point.

According to scientists the global temperature cannot increase more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial time if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided. 

UNEP's new scientific modeling states that in order for this to happen, annual greenhouse gas emissions cannot rise above the range 40 and 48.3 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2020.  If the global emissions can stay within that average and then drop by 48 and 72 percent between 2020 and 2050, scientists say there is a "medium" chance the globe's temperature will not rise above the 2 degree Celsius limit.

The news continues to get more dismal when one considers that even if the 60 countries that signed the Copenhagen Accord in December fulfill their pledges, a big if (see the Kyoto protocol), expected emissions would be between 48.8 and 51.2 gigatonnes by 2020.

UNEP's executive director, Achim Steiner said the gloomy forecast should not depress people, but should motivate them to take action:  "The message is not to sit back and resign and say we will never make it.  But it's not eough at the moment and there are other options that can be mobilized."

Read the full story at Reuters:  U.N. says emissions vows not enough to avoid rise of 2 degrees C