Ten years to save the world

The United Nations ‘Emissions Gap Report 2020’¹⁰ compares the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the G20 (which account for 78% of all greenhouse gas emissions) and reviews where they are heading against where they need to be.

According to the report, by 2030 annual emissions will need to be 32 gigatonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide (GtCO₂e) lower than the current unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) set out in the Paris Agreement, if we are to achieve the 1.5°C goal.

The report is unequivocal: we have just a small window within which to radically reduce global emissions, a window that closes around 2030. To achieve 1.5°C, countries must increase their NDC ambitions more than fivefold.

According to the UN, if we are to have any chance of beating climate change then we must act now and decarbonise the global economy. Renewables, energy efficiency and the electrification of end uses are the key elements to a successful energy transition.