Planet-heating pollution to hit all-time high

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🗞️ Driving the news: Planet-warming emissions are expected to hit a record high of 41.6 billion metric tons in 2024, disappointing hopes that emissions would plateau or decline this year, according to the Global Carbon Project
• The increase is driven by rising pollution from coal, oil, and gas, even as emissions in the U.S., Europe, and potentially China, decline
• As COP29 unfolds, the urgency is underscored by a year of record temperatures, extreme weather events, and looming climate tipping points

🔭 The context: While some regions are making modest progress in emissions reduction, global emissions continue to climb due to increases in other parts of the world, especially India
• UN data suggested emissions could level off soon, but this report highlights that the world is far from achieving the 50% cut in fossil fuel emissions needed this decade to avoid surpassing 1.5°C of warming
• Deforestation and land-use changes, further exacerbated by droughts and fires, add significantly to the year’s emissions totals

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Surpassing 1.5°C of warming risks triggering irreversible climate impacts, affecting ecosystems and human resilience
• Scientists warn that, at this rate, we may face a prolonged breach of this temperature threshold within six years, potentially setting off severe climate tipping points
• Limiting fossil fuel emissions is essential to avoiding catastrophic impacts on global biodiversity, agriculture, and vulnerable communities

⏭️ What's next: As COP29 proceeds, climate advocates are pushing for leaders to commit to substantial emissions cuts
• Technology for carbon removal remains insufficiently scaled, removing only a minuscule fraction of the carbon emitted
With time running out, the demand for immediate, decisive action on fossil fuels is intensifying

💬 One quote: “The impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly dramatic, yet we still see no sign that burning of fossil fuels has peaked,” - climate professor Pierre Friedlingstein of the University of Exeter

📈 One stat: Global fossil fuel pollution is projected to rise to 37.4 billion metric tons in 2024, an increase of 0.8% from the previous year

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