THE United Nations (UN) calls it a "code red for humanity".

In a damning report to the world's governments, hundreds of its scientists warned of global warming beyond 2°C within this century.

Human activity had "unequivocally" changed Earth's climate on an "unprecedented" scale.

And unless immediate and drastic measures are taken to cut heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas emissions, more extreme weather changes and dire consequences are sure to follow. In fact, experts have said the effects of climate change are already here, even in Malaysia.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released by the UN in August, places renewed urgency on the lofty goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement — signed by close to 200 countries, including Malaysia — to limit global warming to below 2°C, and preferably 1.5°C.

In fact, Malaysia made several pledges in 2009 and later in Paris in 2015 to conditionally and drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately promising to reduce emissions intensity by at least 35 percent in relation to 2005 levels, by 2030.

While efforts are underway, critics say not enough is being done to meet Malaysia’s ambitious decarbonisation plan. After all, coal, which is the biggest polluter of all fossil fuels, is the largest source of electricity in the country. The last coal-fired power plant is only expected to retire in 2044, over two decades away.

Seemingly responding to global pressure on climate change, the new government had last month followed up its 2015 plan with what critics say is a “vague” promise to become a carbon-neutral nation by 2050 at the earliest and to end the construction of new coal-fired plants.