DHAKA: World powers are running out of time to slash their use of high-polluting fossil fuels and stay below agreed limits on global warming.

A draft United Nations study to be approved this week shows, says The Straits Times.

Government officials and top climate scientists will meet in Berlin from April 7 to 12 to review the 29-page draft that also estimates the needed shift to low-carbon energies would cost between 2 and 6 percent of world output by 2050.

It says nations will have to impose drastic curbs on their still rising greenhouse gas emissions to keep a promise made by almost 200 countries in 2010 to limit global warming to less than 2 deg C over pre-industrial times.

Temperatures have already risen by about 0.8 deg C since 1900 and are set to breach the 2 deg C ceiling on current trends in coming decades, UN reports show.

BDST: 1848 HRS, APR 06, 2014