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UN report warns of 2.6°C warming as 350.org, CAN demand urgent climate action – EnviroNews
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Environmental advocacy organisations, 350.org and Climate Action Network (CAN), have called on world leaders to urgently strengthen climate commitments and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels following the release of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2026 Emissions Gap Report.
The report, titled “The Point of Return”, released on Wednesday, October 21, warns that current climate policies and national emissions reduction pledges remain insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, with the world projected to experience approximately 2.6°C of warming by the end of the century under current trajectories.
The findings come weeks before governments convene for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, where climate campaigners say countries must translate previous commitments into concrete measures to reduce emissions, expand renewable energy and end dependence on fossil fuels.
Both organisations stressed that the report highlights the widening gap between the action required to address the climate crisis and the commitments governments have made.
According to CAN, global emissions must fall by 45 per cent by 2035 to minimise temperature overshoot and improve the prospects of returning to the 1.5°C pathway. However, existing climate pledges would deliver reductions of only 11 to 15 per cent.
The network warned that continued delays would expose millions more people to worsening climate impacts, including floods, heatwaves, agricultural losses and threats to livelihoods.
350.org calls for fossil fuel phase-out
Reacting to the report, 350.org said the findings underscored the urgent need for world leaders to deliver concrete plans for phasing out fossil fuels at COP31.
The organisation called on governments to implement existing commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and triple renewable electricity capacity, arguing that declarations without measurable action would not deliver the emissions reductions required.
Fenton Lutunatabua, 350.org’s Pacific and Caribbean lead, said fossil fuels remained the principal driver of the world towards exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold.
“This report is clear: fossil fuels are driving us beyond the 1.5°C limit. The fastest and fairest way back is not to bet on unproven technologies, but to cut emissions now, end the expansion of fossil fuels, and protect the forests, oceans and ecosystems that already keep carbon out of the atmosphere,” Lutunatabua said.
He maintained that renewable energy expansion and ambitious climate policies had demonstrated the potential to reduce emissions, but warned that current efforts remained inadequate.
“We know this works: since the Paris Agreement, global renewable electricity capacity has grown three times faster than expected, and the report shows that bold climate policies cut emissions at scale. But what’s on the table now is far from enough, putting us on track for around 2.6°C of warming. We need more, and we can do more,” he added.
Lutunatabua also warned that every five years of carbon dioxide emissions at current levels could increase peak warming by approximately 0.1°C, stressing that even small temperature increases could have significant consequences for human lives and ecosystems.
“The time for action is now,” he said.
Group cautions against reliance on carbon removal technologies
While the UNEP report identifies large-scale carbon dioxide removal, alongside substantial emissions reductions, as necessary to limit peak warming, 350.org warned against relying on unproven technologies as a substitute for cutting emissions at source.
The organisation argued that promoting carbon removal as a primary climate solution could provide fossil fuel companies and governments with justification to continue expanding oil, coal and gas production.
Instead, it called for immediate emissions reductions, an end to new fossil fuel expansion and stronger protection of natural ecosystems, including forests and oceans, which absorb and store carbon.
The organisation maintained that climate strategies should prioritise proven emissions reduction measures and renewable energy deployment rather than depend on technologies whose ability to deliver carbon removal at the required scale remains uncertain.
CAN warns of rapidly shrinking carbon budget
Climate Action Network International also warned that the world was approaching a critical threshold, with the remaining carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5°C potentially exhausted in less than three years if emissions continued at current levels.
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of CAN International, said the UNEP findings represented another warning that existing government responses were falling significantly short of what was required.
“The world is hurtling towards 1.5°C of warming and an overshoot looks certain. At current emission levels, the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C will be exhausted in less than three years,” Essop said.
She noted that climate change was already causing severe disruption to communities through destructive flooding, deadly heatwaves and failed harvests that were undermining food security.
Despite these impacts, Essop criticised governments, particularly in wealthier countries, for continuing to approve and expand fossil fuel projects.
She warned that the world was heading towards approximately 2.6°C of warming by the end of the century, with the most severe consequences likely to fall on communities and countries that had contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions.
“Every tenth of a degree matters, and what governments do now will determine how much worse the crisis becomes,” she said.
CAN stressed that urgent action was necessary to reduce emissions, protect vulnerable populations and prevent further deterioration of the global climate.
COP31 must deliver on finance, adaptation and just transition
Looking ahead to COP31, CAN called for a comprehensive package of outcomes covering just transition, adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation and climate finance.
The organisation urged governments to commit to national roadmaps for a fair transition away from fossil fuels, with wealthy countries taking the lead in reducing emissions and providing financial support to developing nations.
It argued that developing countries would need adequate resources to accelerate their energy transitions, strengthen resilience to climate impacts and address losses already being experienced by vulnerable communities.
CAN also emphasised the need to support frontline populations in recovering from climate-related damage and building safer, more resilient livelihoods.
“COP31 must be part of the urgent course correction governments need to make, with strong outcomes on Just Transition, Adaptation, Loss and Damage, Mitigation and Finance,” Essop said.
She added that wealthy countries must lead on emissions reductions while providing the finance needed by developing nations to implement climate commitments.
“Frontline communities need support to cope with worsening climate impacts, recover from the losses they are already suffering and build safer futures. We cannot afford another year of promises without action,” she said.
Pressure mounts on governments ahead of COP31
The statements from 350.org and CAN add to mounting pressure on governments to demonstrate how they intend to close the gap between existing climate commitments and the emissions reductions required to limit global warming.
The UNEP report’s projections highlight the challenges facing the international community as countries seek to implement the Paris Agreement while dealing with rising temperatures and increasingly severe climate impacts.
For climate campaigners, COP31 represents an important opportunity to strengthen emissions reduction commitments, accelerate renewable energy deployment and establish clear pathways for ending reliance on fossil fuels.
They also insist that stronger mitigation efforts must be accompanied by adequate finance for adaptation, responses to loss and damage, and support for countries and communities facing disproportionate climate risks.
Both organisations maintain that the scale of the challenge demands immediate action rather than additional political declarations.
With the world still facing the prospect of significant temperature overshoot, they argue that decisions taken by governments in the coming months will be critical to determining the severity of future climate impacts and the prospects of protecting vulnerable populations.
