According to a new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), global carbon emissions are heading in the wrong direction, with a huge gap between aspiration and reality. The report, United in Science, shows that greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, reaching record levels. Fossil fuels emission has now surpassed pre-COVID-19 levels after a temporary drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2030 emissions reduction pledge would need to be seven times higher to meet the 1.5¡ãC target of the Paris Agreement. The past seven years have been the warmest on record. There is a 48% chance that in at least one year of the next five years, the annual average temperature will be 1.5¡ãC warmer than the 1850-1900 average. As global warming increases, we cannot ignore the approaching ¡®tipping point¡± of the climate system. Cities that host billions of people are responsible for up to 70% of fossil fuel emissions and will face increasing socioeconomic impacts from climate change; the most vulnerable population will suffer the most.
