This briefing note was published in September 2020 to coincide with the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The impacts of rising temperatures are visible everywhere, from the poles to the equator. There is a fifty-fifty chance global warming will exceed 1.5°C by 2040, and global warming will reach 2.7°C at the end of the century if all unconditional 2030 pledges are fully implemented.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has decades of experience addressing the climate crisis. UNEP helped establish the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the 1980s and has concentrated on efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly by promoting renewable energy and improved energy efficiency.
UNEP’s approach to the climate crisis
UNEP stands at the core of the action in the fight against the climate crisis. The organization’s work cuts across the fields of science, policy, technology and finance. UNEP works with countries to pursue low-emission development and boost their capacity to adapt and be resilient to climate heating through nature-based solutions.
UNEP is helping implement the Paris Agreement by supporting countries in developing national plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and promoting new finance models to accelerate the transition to a green economy.
UNEP is also working with governments, civil society and the private sector to improve air quality and reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. The organization works with stakeholders to protect and restore natural ecosystems such as forests, coral reefs and peatlands while combating the sources of degradation.
UNEP calls for greater ambition from countries and recognition of the benefits of integrating natural systems into concrete climate action.
The organization is helping countries move towards climate resilience and low-emissions strategies through:
- Adaptation and mitigation techniques
- The UN-REDD Programme
- Climate finance
- Early warning and disaster preparedness systems
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