Climate change 'disaster'

THE world is on track for a "catastrophic" 3.1C of global warming, the UN has warned as it called for massive efforts to cut the emissions driving climate change.

In its annual report on the gap between the emissions cuts needed to limit global warming to 1.5C and what countries are doing and have pledged to do, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said the goal would "soon be dead" without a global mobilisation on a scale and pace never seen before.

It warned the world was currently on track for temperature rises of 2.6C to 3.1C, depending on how much of the currently promised climate action is delivered.

The warning comes ahead of this year's UN Cop29 talks in Baku, in fossil fuel-rich Azerbaijan, where nations are facing calls to agree bolder action to scale up finance for developing countries to tackle climate change, and to close the emissions gap.