The United Nations has issued a stark warning that global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions are falling dangerously short of what is needed to prevent catastrophic climate change. In its latest Emissions Gap Report 2025, titled ‘Off Target – Continued Collective Inaction Puts Global Temperature Goal at Risk,’ the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed that the planet is on track for up to 2.8 degrees Celsius of warming this century, despite a decade of commitments under the Paris Agreement. This alarming projection underscores the widening chasm between climate pledges and tangible action. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgency of the situation, calling for immediate and accelerated efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. He urged nations to peak global emissions immediately, deepen emission reductions, sharply cut methane, transition rapidly from fossil fuels to renewables, and protect forests and oceans. The report highlighted that global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 2.3 percent in 2024, reaching a record 58 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. The Group of 20 (G20) economies, responsible for 77 percent of these emissions, must lead the charge in reducing their carbon footprint. While some progress has been made, with 60 parties to the Paris Agreement submitting updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the overall impact remains insufficient. The report also warned that the planned withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement in 2026 could erase 0.1 degrees Celsius of progress. Despite these challenges, the UNEP pointed to promising trends in renewable energy, particularly China’s expanding capacity, which is driving global progress toward cleaner electricity systems. However, to keep the 1.5-degree target within reach, global emissions must decline by at least 43 percent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. As the world prepares for the COP30 Climate Conference in Belem, Brazil, the UN is calling for a unified and bold response to bridge the gap between ambition and implementation, emphasizing that every fraction of a degree avoided reduces the risk of irreversible climate impacts.