Production Gap Report 2021

Production Gap Report 2021: Relevance

GS3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Production Gap Report 2021: Context

UNEP has recently released Production Gap Report 2021 to show discrepancy between governments’ planned fossil fuel production and global production levels consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

Production Gap Report 2021: Key points

The report represents a collaboration of several researchers and academic institutions.
The report was first launched in 2019 and this year was the third edition of the report.
The report also tracks how governments worldwide are supporting fossil fuel production through their policies.
The report also tracks how governments worldwide are supporting fossil fuel production through their policies.

Ecological Threat Report 2021

Fossil fuel production gap report: Key findings

The production gap has remained largely unchanged since the first analysis in 2019.
The report finds that over the next two decades, governments across the world are collectively projecting an increase in global oil and gas production, and only a modest decrease in coal production.
The report finds that given the government priorities and their effort towards fossil fuel production, total fossil fuel production will increase at least till 2040.
The window to limit the long-term climate to 1.5°C is rapidly closing.
The world’s governments plan to produce around 110% more fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, and 45% more than consistent with 2°C.
Governments’ production plans and projections would lead to about 240% more coal, 57% more oil, and 71% more gas in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Global gas production is projected to increase the most between 2020 and 2040 based on governments’ plans. This continued, long-term global expansion in gas production is inconsistent with the Paris Agreement’s temperature limits.

Production gap report UNEP: COVID-19 recovery

The G20 countries has channelised $300 billion to fossil fuels since the beginning of the pandemic, and the sector is still enjoying significant fiscal incentives.

Notably, capital flow towards fossil fuels is higher than to clean energy in the post COVID-19 recovery phase.
The commitments at the UN COP26 would decide the fate of fossil fuel production across the world.

Status of Coral Reefs of the World Report

Production gap report 2021 India

The report indicates that India has projected an increase in production of all the fossil fuels—coal, oil and natural gas.
Notably, India has not set any commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emission.