Report warrants immediate action to meet Paris goals

United Nations climate assessments call for an urgent increase in ambition to ensure the Paris Agreement goals can still be met. The report, released ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, finds that national pledges only bring a third of the reduction in emissions required by 2030 to meet climate targets. Should the United States follow through with its stated intention to leave the Paris Agreement in 2020, the picture could become even bleaker. “One year after the Paris Agreement entered into force, we still find ourselves in a situation where we are not doing nearly enough to save hundreds of millions of people from a miserable future,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. The report lays out ways to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, which include investment in renewable energy and efficient passenger cars. The UN also recommends avoiding opening new coal-fired power plants and phasing out existing coal plants. There are an estimated 6,683 operating coal-fired power plants in the world, with a combined capacity of 1,964 GW.