Countries Promised To Cut Greenhouse Emissions, The UN Says They Are Failing
NPRCountries Promised To Cut Greenhouse Emissions, The UN Says They Are Failing Enlarge this image toggle caption ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images The United Nations is warning that most countries have failed to uphold promises to make deep cuts to greenhouse gas pollution, in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, countries are required to submit details of their plans to cut greenhouse emissions, called "Nationally Determined Contributions," or NDCs, to the UN, which then calculates their total impact. According to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, meeting the more ambitious target of a 2.7 degree Fahrenheit temperature rise would require eliminating fossil fuels almost entirely by 2050. The U.S. has updated its climate plan to the UN, promising to cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.