As world leaders prepare for climate negotiations in Dubai next month, the United Nations warns of a dangerous gap between what countries have promised to do and what’s necessary to avoid a climate catastrophe. The UN’s latest Emissions Gap Report says inadequate policies could lead to three degrees Celsius of global warming this century, a scenario described as “hellish” by Secretary General António Guterres.

Last week the world’s top two emitters, China and the U.S., announced new steps to reduce global emissions of methane, a potent and sometimes overlooked greenhouse gas, but the U.S. faces questions about compensating poor countries for damages caused by global warming.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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