As the world struggles to heat up the global economy, nations face the more pressing target of cooling down the planet amid a possible failure to meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, a UN report said Wednesday.

Levels of greenhouse gas emissions are now 14 percent above where they need to be in 2020, according to the Emission Gap Report 2012 released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Beijing.

Previous assessment conducted by the UNEP showed that emissions need to be at around 44 gigatonne (Gt) or less in 2020 to pave the way for even greater reductions needed at a manageable cost.

Instead of declining, the concentration of warming gases like carbon dioxide have actually been increasing in the atmosphere by about 20 percent compared with the level in 2000.

If nations take no immediate action, emissions are likely to stand at 58 Gt by 2020, said the report, warning that the global average temperature may rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

But the report said that even if the most ambitious emissions reduction commitments were implemented by all nations under the strictest set of rules, there would still be a gap of 8 Gt of carbon dioxide by 2020.

Achim Steiner, executive director of the UNEP, said the sobering fact remains that a transition to a low-carbon, inclusive green economy is happening far too slowly and the opportunity for meeting the 44-Gt target is narrowing each year.

This frustrating conclusion urges nations to sharpen their teeth for further reduction efforts, according to the annual report, which is the result of the collaborative efforts of 55 scientists from more than 20 countries.

The report extended appreciation for China's actions in carrying out the Cancun Agreements, calling such actions "voluntary and unconditional."

It also noted China's implementation of domestic energy efficiency targets and emission intensity goals.

China vowed to lower carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 compared with the 2005 level.

The country also pledged to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption and expand forest coverage.

China shut down or phased out small-capacity coal-fired generating sets of 76.825 gigawatts in the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), said Jiang Kejun, co-author of the report.

Zhao Xiusheng, an energy expert at Tsinghua University, said at the news briefing hosted by the UNEP that China will face environmental pressures in the coming years as the country, which is more environmentally aware, has vowed to double its 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020.

But the country's target of developing with a greener GDP is attainable, as China is trying to tap renewable power and new energy sources, Zhao said.

China currently has the largest installation of wind and hydro power in the world. The country is also interested in photovoltaic energy, coal-bed methane and shale gas.

The 2012 UN Climate Change Conference will convene in Doha from Nov. 26 to Dec. 7. During the conference, nations will hold negotiations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Xinhua