The world's climate pledges are impressive - but still not enough

Pledges from 149 countries to reduce their emissions already take us half way to the target. Four key agreements in Paris could close the gap to a 2C world

There are still seven weeks to go before the crunch UN climate change conference in Paris, at which a new international legal agreement is due to be negotiated. Yet it can already chalk up a remarkable success.

149 countries, covering almost 90% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, have now submitted their national climate plans, pledging to reduce their emissions over the next 10-15 years. That is far more than even the most optimistic observers were predicting - and with Opec countries likely to submit their plans soon, the number will rise even higher.