A new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides an update on the latest data on the state of weather, climate, water and related environmental and social sciences. The report warns that climate change and dangerous weather impacts are threatening development gains – but hopes that new technologies and innovations can reverse these trends.

The report, titled “United in Science 2024,” examines how advances in the natural and social sciences, new technologies and innovations are improving our understanding of the Earth system. It highlights their “game-changing” role in supporting climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development.

The report notes that when the Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted in 2015, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were projected to increase by 16 % by 2030 compared to 2015. Today, that projected increase is 3 %. Despite this progress, the report says the emissions gap by 2030 “remains large.” To limit global warming to 2°C and 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, global greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by 28 % and 42 %, respectively, by 2030, “from levels assumed under current policies,” according to a WMO press release. (More on sdg.iisd.org)