Green recovery

Progress in reducing GHG emissions is insufficient to achieve the 2015 Paris Agreement

11/12/2020 PNG

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) refer to the sum of seven gases that have direct effects on climate change: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃).

GHGs have increased by 50% since 1990, and by 35% since 2000, driven by economic growth and fossil energy use. But climate change is occurring faster than expected, increasingly impacting well-being, economic activities, biodiversity and ecosystems, including oceans.

Although we have seen some progress in OECD countries overall since 2007, in part thanks to strengthened climate policies, we are seeing the opposite trend in other world regions since the early 2000s pushed by economic growth and increasing use of fossil energy in developing countries.

See: Environment at a Glance Indicators

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