Global emissions hit record high in 2024: UN report
Global greenhouse gas emissions hit a record 57.7 gigatonnes in 2024, up 2.3% from last year, says the UN Environment Programme.
India topped the list for biggest increase, followed by China, Russia, Indonesia, and the United States.
The EU was the only major player to actually cut emissions.
Even with some improvements, we're still overshooting climate targets meant to keep global warming below 1.5°C or even 2°C.
Emissions need to drop by at least 42% by 2030
To stay under 1.5°C of warming, emissions need to drop by at least 42% by 2030 (from 2019 levels)—but current pledges fall significantly short of this target.
That's a huge gap between what's promised and what's actually required.
UNEP warns we're running out of time
Some new pledges have slightly shrunk the projected emissions gap for 2035, but it's not enough yet.
Only about two-thirds of global emissions are covered by updated national targets so far.
UNEP warns we're running out of time and calls for much bigger cuts if we want a shot at avoiding severe climate fallout.