Emission Gap Report 2022

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) releases Emission Gap Report. It released the 13th edition of this report in 2022. As the name suggests, the report highlights the global greenhouse gas emissions trends. The summarized facts of the latest Emission Gap Report 2022 are provided in this article.

Note: As per the report, India is among the top four greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters.

The key highlights of the 2022 Emission Gap Report are useful information for the environment and ecology section of the IAS Exam.

There are similar international organizations’ reports related to the environment. Check them below:

Key Highlights of Emission Gap Report 2022

Emission Gap Reports measure the difference between countries’ pledges to cut emissions and the amount of cutting needed to keep the rise in global temperature below 2°C by the year 2100. It examines the discrepancy between projected GHG emissions in 2030 and recommended levels to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The report is regarded as a reliable source of information on the fulfilment of the Paris Agreement from a scientific perspective. Since 2011, the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Center (CCC) has started publishing it. The UNFCCC cautioned in its annual assessment that the globe is on course to warm by about 2.5°C by the end of this century, and this study was released the following day.

• The research suggested an urgent system-wide change and an unprecedented decrease in GHG emissions over the course of the following eight years in light of the fact that the world is not on track to meet the targets outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• By 2100, the existing policies will cause a 2.8°C increase in temperature. By the end of the century, the temperature increase will only be limited to 2.4 to 2.6°C if present climate promises are implemented.
• To meet the targets set forth in the Paris Agreement by 2030, GHG emissions must be cut by 45 percent. The report, however, demonstrates that the emissions are at alarming, record-high levels and are still increasing.
• The most recent study called for corrective measures in six areas, including the production of power, the building and transportation industries, and the food and financial systems.
• It predicts that 4 to 6 trillion USD would be needed to be invested annually for the world to transition to a low-carbon economy.
• It suggested six groups of actions to boost funding for the development of such an economy. Carbon pricing and the development of a market for low-carbon technologies are examples of these actions.

Key Highlights of Emission Gap Report 2021

The Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) are on the rise back to pre-COVID levels. In 2020 there was a historic drop of about 5.4% in the level of gases. The levels of carbon dioxide and other GHG’s are on a continuous rise.

New mitigation pledges for 2030 is on a steady flow of progress, but their overall impact of global emissions may not be sufficient to make an impact.

The G20 collectively are not on track either to achieve any of their pledges for 2030. Within the group about ten members are on track to fulfill their pledges while seven of them are off track when it comes achieve their previous Nationality Determined Contributions (NDC).

The new pledges reduce projected emissions by 7.5% but at least a 30% is needed for 2°C and 55 % is needed for 1.5°C.

Long-term net-zero emissions pledged by 50 countries show large ambiguities.

• Net zero emission means that all man-​made greenhouse gas emissions must be removed from the atmosphere through reduction measures, thus reducing the Earth’s net climate balance, after removal via natural and artificial sink.

A few of the G20 members NDC arges put emissions on a path towards net-zero pledges.

The need of the hour is to support these pledges with near-term targets and actions that give assurances that that net-zero emissions can be fulfilled.

At the end of the century global warming is estimated at 2.7°C if all unconditional 2030 pledges are fully implemented and 2.6°C if all conditional pledges are also implemented.

If the net-zero emissions pledges are additionally fully implemented, this estimate is lowered to around 2.2°C.

Reduction of methane emissions from the fossil fuel, waste and agriculture sectors can contribute significantly to closing the emissions gap and reduce warming in the short term.

Carbon market can deliver real emissions abatement and drive ambition, but only when rules are clearly defined, designed to ensure that transactions reflect actual reductions in emissions, and supported by arrangements to track progress and provide transparency.

Current Scenario:

• The current atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are higher than at any time in the last two million years.
• At present, there are no estimates available of total global GHG emissions for 2020.
• However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented 5.4 % drop in CO2 emissions in 2020, with a smaller drop in total GHG emissions expected for the year.
• From 2010 to 2019, GHG emissions grew by 1.3 % per year on average, both with and without land-use change (LUC).
• GHG emissions reached a record high of 51.5 gigatons of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2019 without LUC emissions and 58.1 GtCO2e when including LUC.

Key Highlights of Emission Gap Report 2020

Simple definition of emission gap – “The difference between where we are likely to be and where we need to be in terms of global greenhouse gas emissions”.

Emission Gap for 2030 – “Difference between global total GHG emissions from least-cost scenarios that keep global warming to 2°C, 1.8°C or 1.5°C with varying levels of likelihood and the estimated global total GHG emissions resulting from a full implementation of the NDCs.”

In a nutshell, UNEP’s Emission Gap Report 2020 mentioned that we are not on the track to bridge the emission gap. The other underlining statements are mentioned below:

1. There is a continuing rise in extreme weather events.
   • Wildfire
   • Hurricanes
   • Glacier Melting
   • Ice Melting at poles
2. Aviation and Shipping sectors have been examined as the international emissions from these two areas are not covered in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
3. GHG concentrations in the atmosphere continued to rise in 2020 regardless of lower emissions in the same year. The reason behind lower emission is the prevalence of COVID-19 virus and social and economic disruptions that followed it.

Find the compilation of all the important international organizations reports in the linked article.

Key Highlights:

1. GHGs emissions on rise.
   • It is a third year (2019) in a row that GHG emissions have seen an increasing trend.
   • The dominant factor of GHG emissions is fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
   • When including the more uncertain and variable Land-Use Change (LUC) emissions, global GHG emissions have grown 1.4 per cent per year since 2010 on average, with a more rapid increase of 2.6 per cent in 2019 due to a large increase in vegetation forest fires.
   • The top four emitters are:
     • China
     • US
     • EU27+UK
     • India
   • Out of the total emissions, 55 percent of it has been contributed by the top four emitters.
   • Russia, Japan and International Transport are in the top seven emitters’ list.
   • G20 members account for 78 percent of emissions.
   • Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies are witnessing a decline in GHG emissions while non-OECD economies are seeing the opposite.
   • Rich countries have higher consumption-based emissions (Allocation of emissions to a country where goods are purchased and consumed) than territory-based emissions. However, both types of emissions are declining at similar rates in these countries.
2. GHGs atmospheric concentrations continue to rise while CO2 emissions could decrease
   • Due to restrictions brought in the mobility sector in the wake of COVID-19, there is a decline in GHGs emissions.
   • Although CO2 emissions will decrease in 2020, the resulting atmospheric concentrations of major GHGs (CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)) continued to increase in both 2019 and 2020. Sustained reductions in emissions to reach netzero CO2 are required to stabilize global warming, while achieving net-zero GHG emissions will result in a peak then decline in global warming.
3. COVID-19-led Short-term Emission Reduction
   • The report mentions that COVID-19 crisis is only a short-term period where emissions are likely to decline due to various economic disruptions.
   • Unless countries incorporate strong decarbonization in their economic recovery post covid, the reduction in global emissions will not contribute significantly to emissions reductions by 2030 .
   • Nations are suggested to incorporate mitigating strategies in their NDCs and also in the climate-related policies expected in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP26.
4. Most significant climate policy development of 2020 – Growing number of countries with net-zero GHG target
   • 126 countries that account for 51 percent of global GHG emissions have net-zero goals under one of the following categories:
     • Formally adopted net-zero goals.
     • Announced net-zero goals
     • Under-consideration Net-zero goals
   • If the United States of America adopts a net-zero GHG target by 2050, as suggested in the Biden-Harris climate plan, the share would increase to 63 per cent.
   • Names of G20 Countries with net-zero emissions goals:
     • France – Net-zero emissions goals are legally enshrined
     • United Kingdom – Net-zero emissions goals are legally enshrined
     • European Union – Aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
     • China – Carbon neutrality by 2060
     • Japan – Zero net emissions by 2050
     • Republic of Korea – Carbon neutrality by 2050
     • Canada – Intended for net zero emissions by 2050
     • South Africa – Net zero carbon emissions by 2050
     • Argentina (also a member of UNFCCC Climate Ambition Alliance) – Net zero emissions by 2050
     • Mexico (also a member of UNFCCC Climate Ambition Alliance) – Net zero emissions by 2050
   • No G20 member has officially submitted a new or updated NDC target. Earlier, only 9 countries had formally submitted long-term low GHG emissions development strategies to UNFCCC.
5. Two steps to make significant progress in achieving Paris Agreement Goal of long-term temperature by 2030:
   • Nations have to devise a long-term strategy in line with Paris Agreement
   • Nations have to bring either new targets or update the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are consistent with net-zero emission goals.
6. Cancun Pledges over NDC Commitments
   • G20 nations can overachieve their Cancun Pledge for 2020. (Uncertainty over the performance of Canada, Indonesia, Mexico and Republic of Korea)
   • Nine (including India) out of 20 G20 countries are on track to achieve their NDC commitments
   • Five G20 nations are not on track.
7. The Emission Gap in 2020 compared to 2019 is not narrowed.
8. 3 degrees celsius temperature-increase by the end of the century. It is due to the inadequacy of current NDCs.
9. Early COVID-19 fiscal rescue and recovery measures provide valuable insight for policymakers designing measures for the immediate future:
   • support for zero-emissions technologies and infrastructure, for example, low-carbon and renewable energy, low-carbon transport, zero energy buildings and low-carbon industry
   • support for research and development of zero emissions technologies
   • fossil fuel subsidies through fiscal reform
   • nature-based solutions, including large-scale landscape restoration and reforestation.
10. Need for lifestyle changes with proper governance. Citizens need to actively participate to reduce personal emissions. (Foremost among these are mobility, residential and food, each of which contributes close to 20 percent of lifestyle emissions.)
11. How can governments and citizens reduce personal emissions?
    • Replacing domestic short-haul flights with rail journeys
    • Providing incentives and the infrastructure necessary for cycling and car-sharing, while restricting petrol cars
    • Improving the energy efficiency of housing and renewable energy defaults from grid providers
    • Ensuring the provision of low-carbon food in the public sector and developing policies to reduce food waste
12. Green Pandemic Recovery can help nations be on track.

Prelims Facts:

1. Emission Gap Report is an annual publication on global progress on climate action.
2. The aim of this report is to reflect on the trend of GHG emissions to keep a track of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below 2 degrees celsius and pursue 1.5 degrees celsius.

Emissions Gap Report 2022 – UPSC Notes:-Download PDF Here

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