Record-High Carbon Emissions Show ‘We Are Speeding Towards  unstoppable Climate Chaos’ 

New research offers a global “reality check” as world leaders discuss Paris accord goals at COP24.

World leaders are meeting at the COP24 in Poland to discuss how to achieve the 2015 Paris climate agreement goals. Meanwhile, scientists and activists are warning about new research published by the Global Carbon Project on Wednesday. The report shows that carbon emissions will hit a record high this year.

“We’ve got a LOT of work to do folks. After remaining stable for 3 years, CO₂ emissions have now increased two years straight,” tweeted Penn State climate scientist Michael Mann. Mann also called for electing politicians willing to take the urgent actions needed to stop this global catastrophe. 

As the Post summarized, according to the research:

Between 2014 and 2016, emissions remained largely flat. This increased hopes that the world was beginning to cut emissions. Those hopes have been ended. In 2017, global emissions grew 1.6 percent. The rise in 2018 is projected to be 2.7 percent.

Emissions are expected to rise to a record high of 37.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide. This was driven by nearly 5 percent emissions growth in China and more than 6 percent in India. Many other nations throughout the world are also rising. Emissions by the United States grew 2.5 percent, while emissions by the European Union declined by just under 1 percent.

The increase in the U.S. was driven partly by a cold winter and hot summer. This led to an increased use of heating and air conditioning. However, China's rise was driven by investment in coal-power. Researchers say reversing this trend will require climate-friendly reforms to transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture.

"This is terrible news," Andrew Jones, co-director of Climate Interactive, told the Associated Press about the project's findings. "Every year that we delay serious climate action, the Paris goals become difficult to meet."

The Paris agreement aims to keep "global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius. It will also aim to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius."

"This is the latest and most alarming warning to the world that we are heading towards unstoppable climate chaos. Sadly, President Trump doesn't care. But if he won't act, other leaders must."
—Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch

The Trump administration has withdrawn from the agreement and reversed climate regulations to help polluting industries. In response, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter called on officials of the U.S. government to take action to stop planet-warming emissions.

"It's time for the governors of our country to address this climate crisis. They should  stop all new fossil fuel development," she added. "This is the bold, urgent action that the latest science calls for, and the response that our future generations need."

The new data follows a World Meteorological Organization report from November. The report found that emissions have hit record high levels. We now need fast cuts in CO₂ and other greenhouse gases. Without cuts, climate change will have more destructive and unstoppable impacts on life on Earth."