As the world strives to cut greenhouse gas emissions to meet the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement, in so doing limiting the worst impacts of climate change, it is crucial to track progress. Only by knowing where countries are going compared to where they should be, can build pressure to change course. For a decade, UNEP has brought scientists from across the globe together in the Emissions Gap Report process to compare global greenhouse trajectories against levels consistent with achieving global climate goals, and to highlight the best ways to close the gap. This year’s report will come out in November, but an advance chapter looking at the G20 finds that the nations responsible for 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are not yet taking on transformative climate commitments at the breadth and scale necessary. However, the advance chapter finds that more opportunities for action exist than ever before, and directs G20 members towards nationally appropriate actions they can take to increase action and ambition.
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