Brazil And UN Urge Countries To Come Up With New Climate Targets
Most countries have missed the February deadline this year
Brazil, who is the host of this year’s United Nations climate summit-COP30 is urging countries to come up with emissions cut goals (NDC or nationally determined contributions) ahead of the climate summit. The main focus of Brazil is to persuade bigger economies like Europe, China and developing economies to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius.
The global warming has already crossed the threshold of 1.5°C global warming The 1.5°C global warming limit was et by the Paris Agreement, to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change in 2015.Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to enable the long-term global average surface temperature increase to be kept well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
At COPs 26, 27, and 28, countries emphasized that the impacts of climate change would be much lower at a temperature increase of 1.5°C, compared with 2°C, and expressed their firm resolve to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
2024 was the first calendar year to exceed this mark. Several months throughout 2023 and 2024, including 12 consecutive months ending in June 2024, saw average global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C.
This crossing of the 1.5°C threshold has significant implications for the future of climate change and the need for more aggressive action to reduce emissions.
The Paris Agreement requires each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve. Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions. Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN secretary general António Guterres asked countries to come up with their overdue climate plans.
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the achievement of its long-term goals. NDCs embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Brazilian diplomats are working closely with U.N. officials to encourage countries to file new emissions targets, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), by September. Since Most countries have missed the February deadline this year.
Brazil wants to get large economies to be ambitious about emissions, especially China and the European Union according to sources, which have yet to present NDCs.
State news agency Xinhua reported that Xi promised to present China’s new NDCs by COP30 in November.
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
