The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued a call for urgent global action to narrow the emissions gap to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. The emissions gap represents the shortfall between current global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the levels required to meet the Paris Agreement targets, which aim to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels. UNEP's recent report warns that, without drastic changes, the world will exceed these targets, facing potentially irreversible climate damage.

UNEP emphasizes that the current pledges and efforts by nations are insufficient to meet these critical targets. The report underscores the importance of accelerated commitments from the highest emitters, including policies focused on reducing reliance on fossil fuels, enhancing renewable energy adoption, and bolstering carbon capture technologies. It calls on countries to submit ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and implement rapid changes in sectors like transportation, industry, and energy to decarbonize the global economy.

The UNEP statement arrives just ahead of COP28, where it anticipates that global leaders will re-evaluate their climate commitments in light of these findings. UNEP’s executive team highlighted the importance of collaboration across public and private sectors to mobilize financial resources, innovation, and sustainable infrastructure development to achieve meaningful emissions reductions. As part of its action plan, UNEP also encourages nations to explore nature-based solutions, such as reforestation and wetland restoration, which can absorb CO? from the atmosphere.

With climate impacts becoming increasingly visible—from severe heatwaves to intensified storms—the UNEP warns that delayed action will exacerbate these crises, making adaptation and mitigation more challenging and costly. The report calls for a unified global approach to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century, urging both developed and developing countries to strengthen their commitments to climate resilience, equity, and sustainable development.