ISLAMABAD: A group of leading multilateral agencies led by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has called for immediate steps by all countries to introduce carbon pricing and gradually shift towards energy efficiencies, lowcost green technologies like solar and invest in public transport systems to fight climate disaster, otherwise the global commitment against rising temperatures would remain elusive.

In their joint report `Working Together for Better Climate Action, these lenders found that key climate projections showed gaps in both ambition and implementation to achieve the objections of the Paris Agreement and the countries were falling short of their targets nationally determined contribution.

The World Trade Organisation convened the Task Force on Climate Action, Carbon Pricing, and Policy Spill overswhich was joined by the IMF, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the World Bank to identify ways to foster coordination to maximise positive and limit negative crossborder spill overs from climate change mitigation policies, to introduce a common understanding of carbon pricing metrics and promote coordination to scale up climate action, including through carbon pricing.-Staff Reporter