Cindy Carr cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its annual emissions gap report, detailing how the world’s countries are not doing enough to curb carbon emissions. According to the report, global emissions continued to rise in 2017, and it is unlikely that they will peak by 2020, despite the critical need to reduce emissions in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius.
Today’s report comes on the heels of release last week of the Fourth National Climate Assessment Vol. II and last month’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s climate report, both of which detailed the catastrophic effects the climate crisis will have if global carbon emissions are not reduced. The annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summit is set to begin on Monday in Katowice, Poland.
In response, Sierra Club Global Climate Policy Director John Coequyt released the following statement:
"We’ve seen the writing on the wall in three different reports over the past few weeks: we must immediately take bold action to reduce global carbon pollution in order to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis. Three years ago in Paris, world leaders committed to do just that. But since then, many countries have fallen short of their initial goals, and Donald Trump and his administration have abdicated global leadership and abandoned the international community by refusing to act, or even acknowledge we have a problem. Trump continues to bury his head in the sand while wildfires, hurricanes, droughts, and extreme temperatures cost American lives, cause billions of dollars in damage, and ravage communities across the country.
“But while Trump willfully ignores the most basic responsibility of the Presidency -- to keep Americans safe -- local leaders across the U.S. are stepping up and committing to 100 percent clean energy in their communities. And as these recent reports have made clear, now is the time for all world leaders to also rise to this challenge and commit to a 100 percent clean, renewable energy economy without delay. The future of humanity depends on it.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.