This year’s first Global Stocktake is likely to make grim reading, highlighting that the world’s collective efforts to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change are falling well short. 

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 is vital if we are to avoid the worst effects of global warming. This is still possible — just. But by the time that the U.N.’s major annual climate summit, this year’s COP28, wraps up Dec. 12, we will only have seven short years left to achieve this. 

We’re…