would now be essentially "impossible". The annual Global Carbon Budget report looks at humanity's emissions of planet-heating CO2 from burning hydrocarbons, cement production and land use -- like deforestation -- and relates the figures to the warming thresholds outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. An international team of scientists found that CO2 emissions from fossil fuels will be 1.1 percent higher in 2025 than a year ago, with the huge rollout of renewable technologies across the world not yet enough to compensate for growing energy demand. With emissions from oil, gas and coal all set to rise, the overall figure is due to reach a record of 38.1 billion tonnes of CO2. Released as nations meet for COP30 climate talks in the Brazilian Amazon, the new study calculated a remaining allowance of 170 billion tonnes of CO2 to limit warming to 1.5C from pre-industrial levels -- the goal outlined in the Paris Agreement. "This equates to four years of emissions at the current rate before the budget for 1.5C is exhausted, so that is impossible, essentially," said Pierre Friedlingstein of Britain's Exeter University, who led the research.

The failure to cut planet-heating emissions is overshadowing the COP30 in the rainforest city of Belem -- the conference taking place this week without the presence of the United States, the world's second largest polluter. (Bssnews)