increase to 1.5 celsius above pre industrial levels. to achieve this, countries said they d set up targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. that was then reaffirmed last year at the cop26 summit in scotland, where all countries agreed to revisit and strengthen their climate action plans. but even then, there was caution. this was cop 26 president alok sharma at the end of that summit. we can say with credibility that we have kept 1.5 degrees within reach, but its pulse is weak. so, those were the promises. the actions tell a different story. according to the un report, just 26 of the 193 countries that agreed to more ambitious climate actions have followed through with those plans. based on current pledges, the planet is also on track to warm by an average 2.5 celsius by the end of the century dwarfing the 1.5 degree target. there were some more positive developments. the report says emissions will increase by 10.6% by 2030.
just 26 of the 193 countries that agreed to more ambitious climate actions have followed through with those plans. based on current pledges, the planet is also on track to warm by an average 2.5 celsius by the end of the century dwarfing the 1.5 degree target. there were some more positive developments. the report says emissions will increase by 10.6% by 2030. last year that figure had been 13.7%. so a reduction. but emissions aren t on the rapid decline that experts say is desperately needed. antonio guterres says time is running out. we have very few years. i would say we have two or three years to change course. if we want to keep the 1.5 alive, we must absolutely start reducing emissions now, and then the question of accountability is essential. and there s a lot at stake. let s take a look at some of what we ve already witnessed just this year. in march, floods in eastern parts
the host prime minister boris johnson has been gloomily talking about the likelihood of failure and what the consequences of that would be. it s very different to the situation in 2015, the paris conference, the agreement that came from that. it was a break through success because it was a big picture feel good moment when the world committed to doing what the science says is necessary. that is limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees celsius. this time in glasgow it s going to be harder because this is when countries are supposed to put on the table the details, the plans, precisely how they re going to work towards transitioning into a low carbon future where they help achieve and they do achieve that goal. so that s why this conference will be pushing for big ambition. but at the moment, you know, the details on the table simply do not add up. they are completely insufficient in terms of achieving that 1.5 degree target. so pushing for big concrete measures like s
conference each country will be judged on whether it s cutting emissions sufficiently to ensure that crucial 1.5 degree target is still achievable. the scientific consensus says the goal is now slipping beyond reach and the consequences will be disastrous. without action to curb greenhouse gas emissions we could see temperatures go well beyond 3 degrees of warming. something the earth has not experienced beyond 3 million years. it will be a very, very different world. reporter: u.s. leadership through example is vital at glasgow. the biden administration s plan is bold. half u.s. emissions by 2030. hit net zero carbon by 2050. that s fantastic. they need to demonstrate they can deliver that. the lack of agreement at federal level and, indeed, in many states to the outside world
such as the soaring temperatures in north america s heat dome injune and july this year smashing previous records. the comparison to preindustrial levels a couple of hundred years ago is also important because nearly all man made global warming has been caused by our use of fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas which have powered the industrial age. the transition to renewable energy is well under way but it will be really hard to meet the 1.5 degree target. many experts think it may already be too late to do so. the increase in global temperatures has now reached about 1.1 or 1.2 degrees above preindustrial level. so if current trends continued, it is likely we would pass 1.5 degrees sometime in the 2030s, and even after taking account of most of the recent national pledges to cut carbon emissions further, the un reckons we could be heading for 2.7 degrees of warming by the end of the century with catastrophic consequences. that is why there is now such a concerted push for action. the diff