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UN says climate pledges cut emissions just 6% by 2035
The Hindu·
A United Nations report released on Tuesday said current national climate pledges would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by only 6 percent below 2019 levels by 2035. Even with conditional elements fully implemented, the cut would reach about 9 percent. The 2026 NDC Synthesis Report reviewed 127 new pledges from 154 Paris Agreement parties. Net-zero goals mostly target 2050.
Prism
What It Means For You
- The report says returning warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius needs deeper cuts in coming years.
- Fully meeting pledges and long-term targets implies warming of about 1.7 to 2.3 degrees Celsius by century end.
- Another recent UN assessment said the 1.5 degrees Celsius target is out of reach.
What's Happening
- UNFCCC published the 2026 Nationally Determined Contributions Synthesis Report on Tuesday.
- It covers NDCs submitted between January 1, 2024, and August 31, 2026.
- Most new NDCs link to net-zero targets between 2040 and 2070.
What NDCs Measure
- Under the Paris Agreement, countries set their own climate actions and must strengthen each round.
- The report said NDCs increasingly involve local authorities, civil society and private firms.
- BusinessLine carried the same 6 percent and 9 percent figures from the UNFCCC text.
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