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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that climate pledges by governments were "hollow" unless they firmly resolved to end the use of fossil fuels and cut investments in them.
"The announcements here in Glasgow are encouraging, but they are far from enough," Guterres said at the COP26 summit.
"Promises ring hollow when the fossil fuels industry still receives trillions in subsidies."
Guterres also appealed to negotiators at the COP26 summit to "pick up the pace" in their engagements and not settle for a lowest common denominator outcome.
Guterres' comments come in the wake of data showing pledges made so far left the world way behind its goal of limiting heating to 1.5C.
The 2015 Paris Agreement saw nations promise to limit heating to "well below" two degrees Celsius and to work towards a safer 1.5C cap through sweeping emissions cuts.
On Wednesday, a draft UN climate summit text urged countries to boost their emissions cutting goals by 2022, three years earlier than previously agreed.
The draft was the first sign of where nations are as the COP26 talks in the Scottish city of Glasgow near their close.
Some of the issues that remain unresolved at the summit include how vulnerable nations are supported financially to green their economies and prepare for future shocks.
Rules over transparency, common reporting of climate action and carbon markets are all also still under debate.
A number of countries who are large emitters missed the 2020 deadline for submitting new plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Meanwhile, vulnerable nations argue that the next deadline, in 2025, is too far to deliver the short-term emissions reductions needed to avert catastrophic heating.
Guterres has been outspoken against repeated failures by countries to honor pledges in their efforts to tackling emissions reductions and net zero targets.
"We need action if commitments are to pass the credibility test," Guterres added.
Sources:CGTN
