Baku:Global warming is projected to reach 2.8 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels if current climate policies persist. This warning was issued by Khurshid Rustamov, Economic Affairs Adviser at the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, during his presentation at the 9th Sustainable Development Goals Dialogue.

According to Azeri-Press news agency, Rustamov highlighted that the full implementation of new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 155 countries could potentially limit global warming to between 2.3 and 2.5 degrees Celsius. However, this would still fall short of the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Rustamov explained that there are two primary gaps the ambition gap and the implementation gap. The ambition gap refers to the insufficiency of targets set under the NDCs to meet the Paris Agreement's goals, while the implementation gap pertains to the inadequacy of policies in place to achieve these targets. For a 2 degrees Celsius pathway, emissions must be reduced by 35% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels, and for the 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway, a 55% reduction is necessary. The significant gap underscores the need for countries to enhance their NDC ambitions.