To address this crisis, countries around the world have made agreements and set goals to limit their greenhouse gas emissions. However, progress on these fronts has been mixed, and many experts argue that much more needs to be done to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

Current State of Progress

One of the key indicators of climate progress is the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which are the primary driver of global warming. According to data from the Global Carbon Project, global CO2 emissions reached a record high of 37.1 billion tons in 2019. This represents an increase of 0.6% from the previous year and marks the fourth consecutive year of emissions growth. The largest contributors to this increase were China, the United States, and India, which together accounted for more than half of global emissions.

To combat this trend, countries around the world have made agreements to limit their emissions. The most notable of these is the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by nearly 200 countries in 2015. Under this agreement, countries committed to limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. However, the latest emissions data suggests that the goals of the Paris Agreement are still far from being met.

The Paris Agreement is the most ambitious climate agreement to date, but it is not the only one. Many countries have also made their own commitments to reduce their emissions. For example, the European Union has set a goal to reduce its emissions by at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and the United Kingdom has set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. The United States has set a goal to reduce its emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025.

While some countries have made progress in reducing their emissions, others have fallen behind. For example, China's emissions have continued to rise in recent years and are now more than double those of the United States. Additionally, many developing countries are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels and have limited resources to transition to cleaner energy sources.

What can be done

Despite these challenges, there are a number of ways to help countries around the world transition to cleaner energy and reduce their emissions. One key strategy is to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries to help them invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. Another is to invest in research and development to bring down the cost of clean energy technologies and make them more accessible to countries around the world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the current state of climate progress is mixed. While some countries have made significant strides in reducing their emissions, others have fallen behind. Additionally, global CO2 emissions continue to rise, putting us on a dangerous trajectory towards the worst effects of climate change. To avoid this outcome, more aggressive action is needed to limit emissions and help countries around the world transition to cleaner energy. Only by working together can we hope to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

January 17, 2023

Author: Dylan Boehm | Contributer Energy & Environment