The world’s major greenhouse gas emitters are not on their way to meeting their climate goals almost seven years after the Paris Agreement was signed.
Overall, none of the four largest producers of greenhouse gases have cut their emissions enough to reach the benchmarks set by the Paris Agreement. Those main emitters are the U.S., India, China, and the E.U., according to new information released by Climate Action Tracker, an independent organization, as reported by The New York Times.
Each country differs on how it is progressing regarding emissions. China has the highest amount of emissions, which have been increasing over the past twenty years.
The country puts out almost one third of all greenhouse gases released by humans on the planet, which is more than the U.S., Japan, and Europe all put together. China’s emissions are getting close to their peak amounts, yet the country hasn’t put out new emissions reductions goals this year.
The United States has put out the most emissions historically and is still one of the highest emitters per capita. President Joe Biden has pushed for more climate change agenda items since taking office. The Democrats also pushed through the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a lot of federal money for green energy projects, including tax credits for wind turbines and solar panels, nuclear power plants, and carbon capture, plus help for electric vehicles.
While the European Union reduced its emissions in recent years, it has faced energy crises this year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has set the countries back. Russia drastically cut energy supplies to the EU and has created a dangerous situation ahead of winter, forcing most on the continent to try to find other energy sources.
Germany has ramped up its coal mining and imports to get more resources before the cold winter months hit, and European citizens are struggling under high energy costs. The EU is making the most progress of the four emitters toward reaching its pledges to cut emissions, but their efforts have come at a cost.
India’s emissions are projected to surpass the EU’s next year, which will be exacerbated as its population rises. India’s population is on track to surpass China’s next year.
The United Nations also recently put out a report that said the world is not on its way to reaching its ambitions to stop and reverse deforestation by 2030, which is a key tenet of the Paris Agreement’s aim to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
