Zero Members of the G20 Meeting the Paris Agreement Goals
The G20 consists of the twenty largest economies in the world, but not a single one of them has plans in place to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This information comes from the latest Climate Action Tracker report.
The report looked at 37 countries in total, and out of all of them, only one country was compatible with the Paris Agreement. The lack of sufficient climate pledges also means that there are no significant changes to the emissions gap report for 2030.
The study used new criteria to rank nations as sufficient, so the results are different from past reports.
How Did the Nations Rank?
There are five ranks that the nations can fall into. These include Critically Insufficient, Highly Insufficient, Insufficient, Almost Sufficient, and 1.5C Paris Agreement Compatible.
The only nation that was able to meet the Paris Agreement goals was Gambia. The nations that were Almost Sufficient include the UK, Morocco, Nepal, and four others.
For reference, the largest emitters, China and the United States were found in Highly Insufficient and Insufficient respectively. It’s also worth noting that the US was previously considered Critically Insufficient, but recent pledges have improved the rank considerably.
In fact, the new domestic target is Almost Sufficient. The main issue is that its score is quite low as the largest economy.
What Factors Did the Report Use to Rank These Nations?
The report looked at a variety of factors which include the domestic target, policies, action taken against climate change, their fair share (based on the size of the economy), climate mitigation finance (lending money or highlighting what money is needed internationally), and land use.
Each factor is ranked individually, then combined for a total score. Thus it is possible to be far ahead in one category and very behind in another.
For instance, the report highlighted that the UK is in line with 1.5 for its domestic target, but the problem resides in its international influence. The steps it has taken are not enough.
Coal and Gas Are Still A Problem
While most of the world has moved away from coal, China and India have continued to expand. In particular, China is building more new coal plants than the rest of the world combined just this year.
However, what the world has transitioned to, natural gas, is not a solution to climate change.
While it does produce fewer emissions than coal, it still emits a lot of them and even worse, produces methane emissions. Many nations are increasing their gas infrastructure, which will prolong its usage and make it more difficult to remove.
The report stresses that countries need to switch to renewable energy sources as quickly as possible. It also highlights that green hydrogen energy is shaping up to be a significant player in the energy sector.
Time is Running Out
The report really highlights that the world is not moving fast enough. Time is running out, yet nations continue to move at their own pace. Continuing to do so will permanently change the world and actions must match the urgency of the situation.
Some reports have already stated that it is nearly impossible to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement, but significant changes to G20 nations could improve all that.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.