Climate Change: How much do we need to act now, and when can we do it more effectively? A reappraisal by the World Resource Institute

The report says that the production of fossil fuels is expected to double in the next fifteen years even as the cost of green fuels continues to fall. “The issue is the pace,” says Fransen. Things aren’t going fast enough because we wasted decades not taking action. Now I would say we are taking action, and it’s having an effect. But we need to go so much faster.”

It will be the first time that humanity assesses its progress under the Paris climate agreement. The goal of the mandatory global stocktake is to ensure that political leaders face the facts each and every five years, with hope that they will then strengthen their efforts to control emissions of greenhouse gases. Countries must follow up with new climate commitments in 2025.

The World Resource Institute tracks climate trends and states that governments need to be clear-eyed about the low progress so that they can jump-start a needed course correction.