UN CHIEF CALLS FOR AN "AMBITION SUPERNOVA" AS NATIONS MAKE MINOR PROGRESS ON CLIMATE ACTION

Countries' climate action plans are still far behind what's needed to curb human-caused warming and limit the devastating effects of extreme heat, storms and droughts, but some nations have taken marginal steps toward slashing emissions, a United Nations analysis of national plans found this week.

The report looked into the climate plans of 195 countries and found that emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas will go up 9% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels, but will be 2% lower than 2019 levels because of some climate action from countries switching to cleaner energy. But climate scientists warn that the world needs to spew around 45% less by then.

"The world is failing to get a grip on the climate crisis," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "Inch by inch progress will not do. It is time for a climate ambition supernova in every country, city, and sector."

He called for "net-zero" - when countries only spew as much carbon into the atmosphere as they can take back out - in developed countries to happen by "as close as possible" to 2040, and 2050 for developing nations.