At the upcoming United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland – COP26 for short – countries will face pressure to make more ambitious commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions in a bid to keep warming average climate below 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the pre-industrial era. levels.

Global greenhouse gas emissions

An analysis of national climate commitments by Climate action monitoring, an independent international collaboration of climatologists, shows that the policies of many countries are incompatible with their public commitments to reduce greenhouse gases.

These commitments, in turn, are for the most part too weak to collectively achieve the objectives forged under the 2015 Paris Agreement: to keep global warming “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees. Fahrenheit, and, if possible, stop at 1.5 degrees. Celsius.

Greenhouse gas emissions projections in 2030

The Earth has warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius on average over the past century, and many places have warmed by at least 2 degrees, according to a Washington Post analysis of several temperature data sets. The United Nations warned in a recent report that the world is on track to achieve 2.7 degrees Celsius, or 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit, of warming over the century.

The United States has pledged to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but its emissions are currently expected to remain virtually unchanged over the next decade, according to the Climate Action Tracker analysis. Changing that route would require significant changes in the way Americans travel and power their homes and businesses, scientists say.

The Biden administration, along with its European allies, sought to persuade the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, China, and other major nations to embark on more ambitious and detailed plans ahead of the COP26.

Past and Forecasted Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the United States

Climate Action Tracker analyzes greenhouse gas reduction pledges from dozens of countries, which together account for about 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

It also assesses whether individual countries are doing their fair share to stop climate change based on their size and historical role in causing the problem. Developed countries should make more ambitious cuts than developing countries.

Since the most populous countries are also expected to produce more total greenhouse gas emissions, it is often useful to compare countries based on their per capita emissions. A recent UN report estimated that the average global emissions per person would have to fall to 2.1 tonnes per year by 2030 to reach the target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Below, take a look at dozens of countries and see how their climate plans could affect their future emissions.