Current climate pledges take world from 4°C catastrophe to 3°C disaster

In response to the UNFCCC’s verdict on what effect national pledges to reduce emissions will have in avoiding dangerous warming, Oxfam’s head of food and climate policy Tim Gore said:

 “We welcome the fact that so many countries have made public pledges to cut their emissions - some by significant amounts, others less so. The UNFCCC's verdict reveals that while the world is making progress much more needs to be done. While this round of pledges is a step in the right direction, they only take us from a 4°C catastrophe to a 3°C disaster.

“Countries need to make much steeper emissions cuts to achieve a goal of keeping the average temperature rise below 2°C. Remaining below the level of 1.5°C, which many vulnerable countries are rightly demanding for their very survival will require even stronger action.

"Rich countries especially need to do more to pull their weight, although deeper reductions are needed everywhere to minimize climate harm.  

"These projections show why it's critical to have a separate adaptation finance goal in Paris, linked to the strength of the mitigation commitments on the table. Otherwise it is the world's poorest people, already affected by climate change, who will pay the biggest price."