The earth is on track for a 6°C increase in global temperatures if the current rate of emissions is maintained, according to the latest research released by the Global Carbon Project (GCP).

  

GCP’s executive-director and CSIRO co-author of the paper, Pep Canadell, said the goal of keeping global change within a 2°C increase is rapidly receding.

 

The research shows that global CO2  have increased by 58 per cent since 1990, rising 3 per cent in 2011 and 2.6 per cent in 2012.  

 

The research, led by Dr Glen Peters from CICERO, Norway, compared recent carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and gas flaring with emission scenarios used to project climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

 

"We need a sustained global CO2 mitigation rate of at least 3% if global emissions are to peak before 2020 and follow an emission pathway that can keep the temperature increase below 2ËšC", Dr Peters said.

 

"Mitigation requires energy transition led by the largest emitters of China, the US, the European Union and India.”

 

He said that remaining below a 2°C rise above pre-industrial levels will require a commitment to technological, social and political innovations and an increasing need to rely on net negative emissions in future.