As Paris Agreement goes into effect, what’s next to slow climate change?

When the United Nations ratified the Paris Agreement earlier this month, it was lauded as a critical step forward in combating climate change. But the real labor begins Monday, in Marrakech, Morocco.

That’s where the UN will convene to discuss how it will achieve specific emissions goals. The Paris deal, which goes into effect Friday, asks each member nation to curb emissions in relation to its size and economic situation. The endgame is to prevent warming more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. But the planet isn’t yet on track to meet that goal, officials say.

“The science shows that we need to move much faster,” said Erik Solheim, director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP). “The growing numbers of climate refugees hit by hunger, poverty, illness and conflict will be a constant reminder of our failure to deliver.”