World Resources Institute and ClimateWorks Foundation: Climate Action Must Progress Far Faster to Achieve 1.5 C Goal

Are we on track to meet climate targets by 2030 and 2050?

The 2015 Paris Agreement had a number of countries agree to contribute to limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and ideally 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F). The latest science shows that emissions will need to drop by half by 2030 and reach net-zero by mid-century to meet this goal and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

A report from WRI and ClimateWorks Foundation found that in all but a couple of cases, progress is happening far too slowly for the world to meet its emissions-reduction targets – and in some cases, we’re moving in the entirely wrong direction.

The State of Climate Action report assessed 21 indicators across six key sectors. Of all the indicators assessed, two show a historical rate of change sufficient to meet both 2030 and 2050 targets; 13 indicators show change headed in the right direction, but too slowly; and two show change headed in the wrong direction altogether.

You can read a summary of the summary article or the download the full report through the World Resources Institute website.