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.

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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.