As far as the climate is concerned, on the one hand there are bright spots in the Corona crisis year: The EU is likely to set its goals for 2020 Achieve greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energies. According to the World Weather Organization (WMO), the goal of a climate-neutral world by 2050 is now realistic. The worldwide emission of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has – due to the corona – decreased record-breaking. But at the same time threatens 2020 to be one of the warmest years ever recorded, the hurricane season in the North Atlantic was frightening and the pole ice continues to melt. The 2020 – climate in highlights:

EU greenhouse gases The European Union is likely to meet the goals it has set itself for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting renewable Create energies. According to the figures, the European Environment Agency EEA is assuming 2016 – mind you before the economic slump caused by the Corona crisis. By the end of last year, greenhouse gas emissions were already 23 percent compared to 1990 dropped, target to 2020 was a decrease of 20 percent. According to preliminary figures 2016 already made energy from renewable sources 19, 4 percent off – target for 2020 are 19 percent.

“The European Union is proving that it is possible to reduce emissions while growing the economy,” said EU Environment Commissioner Frans Timmermans.

Climate neutrality More countries are committed to climate neutrality and a milestone is within reach. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2050, climate neutrality – no more greenhouse gases are emitted than nature or technical solutions can bind again limit warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.

The countries that are today for 34 percent of the emissions are responsible, including China, said WMO boss Petteri Taalas. He hopes to get Russia, India and the USA on board under President Joe Biden. “Then we bend the curve of emissions growth over the next five years, and then we see a decrease in emissions of the order of six percent and we can achieve the target 2050 “, he said in Geneva.

CO 2 – emissions 2020 Global emissions of carbon dioxide from the combustion of coal, oil and gas are likely 2020 compared to 2019 by seven percent or 2.4 billion tons to 30 billion tons of CO 2 go back. The Global Carbon Project reported that this was due to the economic downturn, and since the decline in traffic during the lockdown measures in the corona pandemic was the main reason.

But the scientists expect a clear one Rise 2021. During the global financial crisis, emissions 2000 fell by 0.5 billion tons, but rose by five percent in the following year. Despite the lower CO 2 emissions, the concentration of the long-lived greenhouse gas in the atmosphere increased 2019 further on: The annual average is expected to reach the record value of 412 ppm (parts per million) .

Warming 2020, according to WMO analyzes, is likely to be one of the three warmest years since records began in the middle of 19. Century. From January to October the global average temperature was up to 1, 20 Degree above the average of the years 1850 to 1900. Record year is so far 2016, with an annual average plus of 1.2 degrees. The Copernicus Climate Change Service has never since recorded 1900 worldwide measured such a warm November as this year . Its scientists were also “almost certain that 2019 will be the warmest calendar year in Europe”.

Climate Impacts 2019 North and Central America experienced the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record more than 120 years, as reported by the US climate agency NOAA. 24 Storms developed, the weather services reached the end of their prefabricated list of names and had to use the letters of the Greek alphabet. Twelve storms hit land in the United States by the end of November, including numerous Central American states.

There were many states in the western United States – including California, Washington, Oregon and Colorado devastating forest fires. In September and October, larger areas were burned there than ever before in these months since the beginning of the corresponding NOAA records in the year 2000.

Parts of Africa and Asia experienced heavy rain and flooding, including the Sahel region, the Horn of Africa, the Indian subcontinent, as well as China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and parts of Southeast Asia. In contrast, there were severe droughts in northern Argentina, Paraguay and western Brazil. In the Arctic, the extent of sea ice in the months of July and October was lower than ever since the measurements began.

Appeal The pandemic should not be an excuse to ease the climate effort, said WMO boss Taalas. He urged countries to pay particular attention to climate-friendly energy when restarting after the crisis. The consequences of the Covid – – crisis are bad , but limited in time. “If we do not reduce greenhouse gases and tackle climate change, this will have consequences for the economy, living conditions and ecosystems on land and in the sea for centuries.”

(olb)