The Emissions Gap Report 2012
2012
One of the fundamental questions in the global climate
negotiations is: what level of “ambition”, in terms of collective
emission reductions, is needed to protect global climate? To
help answer this question UNEP and the scientific community
have published a series of reports on the “emissions gap1”
since 2010. Of particular interest to the ambition question is
the gap in 2020 between emission levels consistent with the
2oC climate target and emissions levels projected if country
reduction pledges are fulfilled. If there is a gap, then there is
doubt that the ambition of countries is great enough to meet
the agreed-upon 2oC climate target
In the 2010 Emissions Gap Report, scientists indicated that
there would likely be a substantial emissions gap in 2020,
although estimates of this gap ranged widely, depending on
assumptions about how country pledges would be complied
with. In the 2011 Bridging the Emissions Gap Report,
scientists noted that enough technical potential existed
to close the gap in 2020, but fast action by countries was
needed.
UNEP has now convened a group of 55 scientists and
experts from 43 scientific groups across 22 countries to
produce this third emissions gap report which covers the
following:
• An update of global greenhouse gas emission estimates,
based on a number of different authoritative scientific
sources;
• An overview of national emission levels, both current
(2010) and projected (2020) consistent with current
pledges and other commitments;
• An estimate of the level of global emissions consistent
with the two degree target in 2020, 2030 and 2050;
• An update of the assessment of the emissions gap for
2020;
• A review of selected examples of the rapid progress
being made in different parts of the world to
implement policies already leading to substantial
emission reductions. These policies could contribute
significantly to narrowing the gap if they are scaled up
and replicated in other countries.
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