The UN has said the gap between international climate pledges and the reductions needed to avoid dangerous levels of climate change is “unacceptable”.

In the new report, UN Environment claims current plans from national governments, businesses and local authorities across the world are likely to lead to temperature rises of as much as 3°C or more by the end of this century.

It says a further 25% needs to be cut from predicted 2030 emissions to hit the 2°C limit set out in the Paris Agreement.

The emissions gap in question does not take into account the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement – if Donald Trump presses ahead with leaving, the UN expects the gap to widen significantly further.

The report also calls for private sector companies to do more – they currently account for a quarter of global emissions.

Erik Solheim, UN Environment Chief, said: “We still find ourselves in a situation where we are not doing nearly enough to save hundreds of millions of people from a miserable future. This is unacceptable.

“If we invest in the right technologies, ensuring that the private sector is involved, we can still meet the promise we made to our children to protect their future.”