The gap between greenhouse gas emissions and levels needed to achieve temperature-reduction goals continues to widen.

A United Nations report has warned that global efforts to tackle greenhouse gas emissions are off track, with emissions reaching a record high of 53.5 billion tonnes in 2017, the first rise after three years of decreases.

The ninth annual UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Tuesday, analysed the impact of climate policies implemented by individual countries, and whether they are enough to limit the global average temperature rise to a relatively safe threshold of below two degrees Celsius by 2030.

The assessment comes a few days before a UN climate conference starts in Poland. The talks will produce a “rule book” on how to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to between 1.5 and two degrees Celsius.

According to the report, emissions by 2030 will need to be around 25 percent lower than 2017 levels to limit global warming to 2C, and 55 percent lower to limit the rise to 1.5C.

“Increased emissions and lagging action mean the gap figure for this year’s report is larger than ever,” the report stated.

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