Emissions Should Be Halved by 2030 to Avoid 3C Warming

Emissions need to be halved by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius but temperatures are on track to reach double that by the end of the century even if countries’ current plans are fully implemented, research by scientists shows. 
A group of European researchers, Climate Action Tracker, tracks countries’ progress towards the globally agreed aim of limiting warming to well below 2C and a more ambitious target of 1.5C, Reuters reported.
Public concerns about climate change are growing and have led to protests around the world. 
However, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were at a record high last year and new renewable power capacity has stalled after years of strong growth. 
At the same time, methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, has risen in recent years due to oil and gas production, including fracking. 
An assessment of 32 nations’ climate plans by Climate Action Tracker shows that only two governments’ plans - Morocco and the Gambia - are enough to meet the 1.5C limit. 
If nations fully implement the plans they made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, temperature rise is on track to reach 3C by the end of the century, just slightly lower than the 3.3C rise the tracker forecast last December. 
“Public concern is rising fast, with global movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion pushing governments toward action as people take to the streets,” said Niklas Höhne of NewClimate Institute, one of the organizations which provides analysis for the Climate Action Tracker.