OREANDA-NEWS. The temperature on Earth by the end of this century may rise by 3.4 - 3.9 degrees Celsius, if you do not take the steps outlined in the Paris climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This is stated in the annual report of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published in Geneva on Tuesday.

In their study, UNEP experts analyze the gap between the landmarks set out in the Paris Agreement and the real situation. It's emphasized that "countries have failed collectively, failing to stop the global increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which means that now deeper and faster reductions are required". The issue "grew over the past decade at a rate of 1.5% annually" and reached in 2018 a "record 55.3 gigatons".

In order for the temperature increase on Earth to not exceed 2 degrees Celsius at the end of this century, it will be necessary to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030, and to limit warming by one and a half degrees, it's necessary to reduce them by 55%. This means that from 2020 to 2030, greenhouse gas emissions should decrease annually by 2.7% or 7.6%, respectively. "If everything is left as it's, then in this century we can expect an increase in temperature from 3.4 to 3.9 degrees Celsius, which will bring large-scale destructive consequences for the climate", the experts emphasize.