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Dr Stephen Cornelius, Chief Scientific Adviser at WWF responded to the publication of the eighth edition of the UN Flagship Emissions Gap Report which tracks the policy commitments made by countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 

“The effects of climate change are clearer each day. From the Arctic changing in our lifetime to recent floods in South-East Asia, there is an urgent need for greater action. Our global emissions gap is widening and we must close this. If we cannot, it will make our Paris Climate Agreement targets a mere pipedream.

“Even if we achieve our current goals it is unlikely we will keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. In the future we will need tougher, more stringent targets. We need to look at how we consume goods and how we use our land. Nevertheless, technological revolutions are transforming the way we use energy and even how we drive vehicles. This gives us the possibility limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. This will decrease wildlife loss, reduce the severity of weather effects and continue to support our planet for future generations.”

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