Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate

The report warns that massive LNG expansion and a lack of ambitious national climate targets are jeopardizing the 1.5°C warming limit. It highlights that current 2030 targets lead to 2.4°C of warming and that LNG capacity under construction could increase emissions by over 1.9 GtCO2e per year by 2030 above Net Zero scenarios. While some policy progress is noted in the US, China, and the EU, international climate finance remains insufficient, and the phase-down of coal is largely being ignored by major emitters.

• The expansion of LNG capacity currently under construction and planned could result in annual emissions exceeding the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 scenario by more than 1.9 GtCO2e by 2030. Between 2020 and 2050, cumulative LNG emissions could be over 40 GtCO2 higher, representing approximately 10% of the remaining carbon budget.
• Current 2030 targets put the world on a trajectory for 2.4°C of warming, as the Glasgow NDC update process failed to produce the necessary emissions cuts. Even if all targets currently under discussion are fully implemented, warming could still reach 1.8°C.
• Despite some policy advancements in the EU, China, and the US, the overall temperature estimate based on actual policies and actions remains at 2.7°C due to methodology updates and higher historical emissions.
• International climate finance for developing countries is inadequate, with an increase of only 4% in 2020, and no tracked developed country received a rating better than 'Insufficient'.
• Progress on phasing down coal and reducing methane is limited; major coal countries have largely ignored the Glasgow Climate Pact, and most methane plans focus on fugitive emissions rather than phasing out production, with Colombia being a notable exception by banning fracking.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2022). Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/cat-global-update-massive-gas-expansion-risks-overtaking-positive-climate

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate. 2022. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/cat-global-update-massive-gas-expansion-risks-overtaking-positive-climate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate |date=10 November 2022 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/cat-global-update-massive-gas-expansion-risks-overtaking-positive-climate |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2022massive, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/cat-global-update-massive-gas-expansion-risks-overtaking-positive-climate}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }