United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2013, Executive Summary: “The emissions gap in 2020 is the difference between emissions levels in 2020 consistent with meeting climate targets, and levels expected in that year if country pledges and commitments are met, As it becomes less and less likely that the emissions gap will be closed by 2020, the world will have to rely on more difficult, costlier and riskier means after 2020 of keeping global average temperature increase below 2oC. If the emissions gap is not closed, or significantly narrowed, by 2020, the door to many options limiting the temperature increase to 1.5oC at the end of the century will be closed… Current global greenhouse gas emission levels [50.1 Gt CO2-e in 2020] are considerably higher than the levels in 2020 that are in line with meeting the 1.5o C or 2o C targets, and are still increasing. In 2010, in absolute levels, developing countries accounted for about 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.” [1, 2].
[1]. United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2013, Executive Summary: http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport2013/portals/50188/Executive_summary_en.pdf .
[2]. United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2013: http://www.unep.org/publications/ebooks/emissionsgapreport2013/ .