World heading for ‘climate catastrophe’ as countries’ plans fail to deliver — UN

Current climate policies put the world on track for warming of 2.8C and plans countries have set out for action in the next decade would lead to long-term temperature rises of 2.4-2.6C.

The time for incremental changes is over, and “only a root-and-branch transformation of our economies and societies can save us from accelerating climate disaster,” UNEP executive director Inger Andersen warned. Picture: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File

The world is heading for “climate catastrophe”, the UN has warned as a report showed how far off track nations are on cutting global warming pollution.

A UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report reveals a huge gap between the action needed to limit global temperature rises to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and what countries are doing and have pledged to do.