In a Report Card on Global Warming, Nations Get a Very Poor Grade

Despite the clear human and environmental toll of global warming, countries are taking only baby steps to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, a senior United Nations official said, summarizing a new U.N. report card on the promises made by governments so far. The , are the latest of several assessments that paint a dire picture in which the countries arent doing nearly enough to keep global warming within relatively safe levels. Todays report shows that governments combined are taking baby steps to avert the climate crisis, said Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the U.N. climate change agency. And it shows why governments must make bold strides forward. Notably, a separate study from researchers in Saudi Arabia found that the country could face an existential crisis threatening food and water supplies, along with the health of religious pilgrims during the Hajj if global average temperatures rise by 3 degrees Celsius, or 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with preindustrial times. Thats roughly the level of warming that is projected if every country meets its climate goals. Saudi Arabia is of course one of the worlds biggest oil producers, and it is the burning of oil and other fossil fuels thats warming the planet by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In this critical juncture, the October report said, Saudi Arabia faces a momentous choice: To adapt and innovate in the face of climate adversity, or suffer the severe and potentially irrevocable consequences of inaction. The by researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. Findings like these are likely to be central to the debate later this month when tens of thousands of people, including world leaders, converge on Dubai for the annual U.N. global climate negotiations. The future of fossil fuels is the main flashpoint of these talks, all the more so because the negotiations are taking place in the oil-rich Middle East. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and your Times account, or for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? . Want all of The Times? .