Woefully unprepared

Exceeding key climate target is now 'imminent and unavoidable', United Nations warns

The warning comes as a group of British MPs warned this summer's record heat and intense wildfires exposed how "woefully unprepared" the country is for the growing risk of blazes.

Exceeding a key global climate target is now "imminent and unavoidable", United Nations (UN) scientists have warned.

It coincides with a new report by MPs today that said Britain urgently needed new equipment to cope with the growing danger of wildfires, driven by global warming.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said the world would soon blow through the goal of limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, reaching at least 1.7C even in a best-case scenario.

Being woefully unprepared is much more than a British problem. India also seems to be woefully unprepared for the coal supply bottlenecks already occurring in a major expansion of its coal-fired power plants.

Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here, although British MPs are woefully unprepared when it comes to learning lessons. As are most voters.

India plans up to 150 gigawatts of new coal-fired power plants

India may have to expand its coal-fired power plants much more than previously planned. 

This was stated by Ghanshyam Prasad, chairman of the state electricity authority CEA, in October 2026 in New Delhi. By 2035, additional plants with a capacity of 105 to 150 gigawatts could be necessary. Previously, the planning provided for only 97 gigawatts. The background to this is the sharp increase in electricity demand, weak hydropower generation and a lack of storage capacities for renewable energies. At the same time, the coal stocks of existing power plants are shrinking, while significant supply bottlenecks are already occurring.