Various countries are planning to produce more than double the amount of coal, oil and gas consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

Ten days before the start of the COP26 climate summit that is being billed as key to the viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals, the UN’s Environment Programme said government fossil fuel production plans this decade were “dangerously out of sync” with the emissions cuts needed.

The UN says emissions must go down nearly 50% by 2030 and to net-zero by mid-century to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But its Production Gap report found that total fossil fuel production would rise until at least 2040. Development plans would produce 110% more fossil fuels this decade than consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and 45% more than for a world where temperatures rise 2°C.

Putin will not attend Glasgow climate talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t go to next month’s UN climate summit, the Kremlin said. The COP26 in Glasgow has been called the “last best chance” to get climate change under control. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “unfortunately Putin will not fly to Glasgow”. Russia is currently the fourth highest carbon emitter.

G20 leaders to address climate ahead of COP26

G20 leaders meeting in Rome next week will help pave the way for UN climate talks that follow, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Wednesday, urging world powers to take coordinated action. There will be a summit of G20 advanced economies meeting on October 30-31.

‘China’s switch to clean energy may happen fast’

The costs of solar and coal power in China could become comparable nationwide by 2023, a new US-China study has found, indicating that the country, the largest carbon emitter globally, could transition to clean energy faster than expected.

Inputs from Sutirtho Patranobis