A new joint report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and research partners, released on Wednesday, reveals alarming projections for the production of fossil fuels over the next decade. The 2023 Production Gap Report predicts a staggering 110 percent increase in global fossil fuel production by 2030, posing a significant challenge to international efforts aimed at curbing the worsening climate emergencies.
Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP, expressed deep concern, stating, “Governments’ plans to expand fossil fuel production are undermining the energy transition needed to achieve net-zero emissions, throwing humanity’s future into question.” Andersen emphasized the necessity of powering economies with clean and efficient energy as the key to simultaneously addressing energy poverty and reducing emissions.
Timed ahead of the UN climate talks scheduled for November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, the 2023 Production Gap Report indicates that by 2050, projected fossil fuel production could reach 350 percent and 150 percent above the levels consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The report attributes the surge in fossil fuel production plans to the ongoing global energy crisis, triggered by the Ukraine situation. Producer nations are contemplating investments in new oil and gas infrastructure with minimal efforts to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
The projections in the report suggest that global production levels for coal, oil, and gas could surpass current estimates by 460, 29, and 82 percent, respectively, by 2030 based on governments’ current plans to increase consumption.
“Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires governments to commit to, plan for, and implement global reductions in the production of all fossil fuels alongside other climate mitigation actions, beginning now,” the report asserts.
Ploy Achakulwisut, a lead author of the report and scientist with the Stockholm Environment Institute, emphasized the urgency of a swift shift from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives like solar and wind to secure a greener and livable future for humanity. The findings underscore the critical need for immediate and concerted global action to address the looming climate crisis.
