Research shows that 2020 CO2 emissions targets were not met worldwide

A recent investigation into the extent to which countries were able to meet their climate pledges has revealed that 56% of the examined nations failed to meet the emissions reduction goals they established at COP15. This raises concerns about the attainment of future climate targets.

The study, published in Nature Climate Change and led by researchers from University College London, Kingston University London, University of Groningen, and Tsinghua University, found that 19 out of 34 countries failed to achieve their CO2 emissions targets set at COP15 for the year 2020.

The failure of these countries to meet their targets comes at a time of worsening global climate crisis and the release of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum, which calls for urgent action to tackle climate change.

The authors of the study highlighted the importance of differentiating between territorial and consumption-based emissions to detect carbon transfer, where countries reduce their territorial CO2 emissions by outsourcing polluting practices. They emphasized the need for countries to focus on territorial mitigation efforts and emissions along the entire supply chain.

The study also pointed out that most countries failed to achieve their emissions reduction goals for 2020 due to increased consumption associated with rising economic and demographic growth. The authors stressed the need for countries to prioritize sustainability efforts and invest in a greener economy to meet the Paris Agreement targets and address the challenges posed by climate change for future generations.