With this fourth assessment of the gap between ambitions and needs, the United Nations Environment Programme seeks to inform governments and the wider public on how far the response to climate change has progressed over the past year, and thus whether the world is on track to meet the 2° C target. In addition to reviewing national pledges and actions, this year’s assessment, for the first time, also reviews international cooperative initiatives which, while potentially overlapping, serve to complement national pledges and actions.