There is a big gap between what countries have put forward, so far ,and what it will take to avoid runaway climate change. A new report—Fair Shares: A Civil Society Equity Review of INDCs—compares submissions with their fair share based on science and equity. It warns that we have just 10-15 years to achieve significant emissions reductions. The report concludes that to avoid a 3°C warmer world, the Paris agreement must ensure steep emissions reductions towards near-zero levels by mid-century.
It must include a mechanism to ratchet up current targets before they come into effect in 2020 and enhance every 5 years thereafter. This is alongside a step-change in international climate finance, and the creation of a clear and equitable plan to address the emissions gap fuelled by scaled-up support from the developed countries that are most responsible for climate change.