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There’s “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place” today, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) insisted in a new report, despite legally binding promises made at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference to prevent average temperatures rising by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Uncomfortable truth

“This report tells us in cold scientific terms what nature has been telling us all year, through deadly floods, storms and raging fires: we have to stop filling our atmosphere with greenhouse gases, and stop doing it fast,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “We had our chance to make incremental changes, but that time is over. Only a root-and-branch transformation of our economies and societies can save us from accelerating climate disaster.” Despite Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) promises made by governments in favour of reducing their carbon footprint, pledges made since the last climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 will lead to cuts of less than one per cent of projected 2030 greenhouse gas emissions, according to UNEP.

Paltry reductions

This is the equivalent of just 0.5 gigatonnes of CO2, UNEP calculated, adding that only a 45 per cent emissions reduction will limit global warming to 1.5C. As it stands today, latest data indicates that the world is on track for a temperature rise of between 2.4C and 2.6C by the end of this century. “In the best-case scenario, full implementation of unconditional NDCs and additional net-zero emissions commitments point to only a 1.8C increase, so there is hope. However, this scenario is not currently credible based on the discrepancy between current emissions, short-term NDC targets and long-term net-zero targets,” UNEP said.

Fossil fuel-free solution

For the situation to improve, a “large-scale, rapid” and fossil fuel-free shake-up is needed of our “electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings sectors, and the food and financial systems” to cut emissions by 45 per cent to limit global warming to 1.5C, and by 30 per cent to keep average temperature rise to 2C, the UN agency explained. And although the transformation towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is underway in electricity supply, industry, transportation and buildings, it needs to move “much faster”, the report concludes.

Three people died in separate road accidents in Sunsari Thursday night. The deceased have been identified as Tej Narayan Sah (45) of Itahari-17, Geevan Raut (27) of Barahchhetra-8 and Gulab Mehata (35) of Supaul Banauli Panchayat, India. Sah died when a motorcycle (Pradesh 1-02-043 P 9087) heading towards east from west hit a cart at Pakali of Itahari-17 along the East-West highway. Bike Bikram Khadka (45) of Belbari-8, Morang was injured in the accident and he is being treated at the Biratnagar-based Neuro Hospital. Similarly, Raut, who was severely injured when an unidentified motorbike hit his bicycle along the Duahabi-Inaruwa road section in Inaruwa-5, breathed his last in the course of treatment at the District Hospital, Inaruwa. Police said that they are searching for the motorcycle. Likewise, Mehata, who was critically injured when a car (Ga 3 Cha 5576) hit a bicycle at Bhokraha Narsingh Rural Municipality-4, died while undergoing treatment at the District Hospital Inaruwa, DSP Raj Kumar Rai said. Police said that they have impounded the car and arrested its driver for investigation.

Two persons were found dead in East Nawalparasi on Thursday. Sanjay Kumalm (25) of Bulingtar Rural Municipality-6 was found dead near his house. According to Jayram Onta, Inspector at the the Area Police Office, Dedhgaun, said that they are looking into the case. Meanwhile, a nonagenarian was found drowned in the Narayani river at Gaindakot Municipality-1. The deceased has been identified as Tanknath Kandel (93) of Gaundakot-1, Inspector at the Area Police Office Gaindakot Prasthant Shrestha said.

The demand for earthen pots has been growing with the approaching Chhath festival. Along with the domestic clay pots, various articles required for the festival manufactured in India are also making in-roads in the Nepali market. The earthen pots manufactured in India are doing brisk business in the bordering towns while the domestically produced ones are selling in greater numbers in the inner markets. The sale of clay pots has seen a rise in Janakpurdham, Mahendranagar Sakhuwa, Dhalkebar, Bateshwor, Dharapani, Birendrabazar, Sabaila, the main square at Sahidnagar and Hatiya, among the main markets of Dhanusha. With the increasing demand for clay pots in the market, the potters have become busy like the bees. The demand for earthen pots is high during the cultural festivals as Chhath due to the tradition of mostly using the clay pots for various cultural rituals. It is considered auspicious to conduct the rituals using the fresh clay pots. "The sale of clay articles like lamp, dhakana, chaumukhe deep, pala, images of elephants has increased at various places and the bordering towns for the imminent Chhath festival," said Bishnu Lal Pandit, a pottery trader of Haraiya, Kshireshwornath Municipality-4. As he said, making clay pots was their main means of subsistence in the past. But these days their traditional profession has been displaced with the increasing use of plastic and metal pots. Kamal Pandit, a potter at Sakhuwa, Kshireshwornath Municipality-6, complained that their traditional profession is under threat in recent years due to the growing use of plastic and metal pots. The festival period is the only time for local potters to earn whatever income for the whole year. A set of earthen pots for the Chhath festival costs between Rs 200 to Rs 300, said Kanhaiya Pandit from Janakpurdham. A majority of the local communities whose traditional profession is pottery making are abandoning this profession as it is not profitable. So, the traditional pottery making business is under threat.