Ahead Of COP27 Meet, A Look At The Hole In Climate Goals

The Earth has been heating up faster than usual since the Industrial Revolution, and has now become prone to environmental disasters. So, when world leaders meet in Egypt next week for COP27 they will be plotting more steps for limiting the average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the pre-industrial period by 2100. The prospects look bleak, but the latest UN report presents a roadmap

- Kenneth Mohanty & Anjishnu Das

Energy: Coal Out By 2030

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2022 says the share of zero-carbon power should increase to 65-92% by 2030, and 98-100% by 2050. So, “unabated coal” – coal power not balanced out by efforts to reduce CO2 emissions – needs to fall to zero in 2030. Also, the share of unabated natural gas needs to fall to 17% in 2030, and zero between 2040 and 2050. These are difficult targets because 10% of the world’s population even now has no access to electricity, and 40% has a patchy supply.

Mobility: More Walking, Cycling