Earlier this year the World Meteorological Organisation reported that 2014 was the hottest year on record – just -, that 14 of the 15 hottest years on record have all been this century and that “rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the increasing heat content of the oceans are committing us to a warmer future” (Google “WMO 2015 hottest”).

And according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the March to May period worldwide was the hottest on record (Google “NOAA May 2015”).

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently issued the Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2015 report, giving a detailed analysis of where we are and what can be done to limit global increase in temperatures to no more than 2°C (Google IEA clean energy 2015).

According to the executive director “never has the promise of clean energy technology been so great” but “never have the challenges surrounding deployment of the proper solutions been so daunting”.

And, depressingly, that “the current pace of action is falling short of the aim of limiting climate change to a global temperature rise of 2°C”.

The IEA forecasts that if we keep on doing what we’re doing the temperature is likely to increase by 4°C by the end of this century which “is likely to stimulate severe impacts, such as sea level rise, reduced crop yields, stressed water resources or disease outbreaks in new areas”.

If countries worldwide keep to current pledges, an increase by almost 3°C by the end of this century is predicted with “the significant hazard of bringing forth drastic climate impacts”.

Hardly. It was established after the 1973 oil crisis to promote energy security among its 29 member countries, which include Australia.

Initially the focus was on oil (and still largely is) but now the IEA also looks for ways to deploy new technology to boost economic growth but protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In May the Lowy Institute in a poll found 50% of us - up from less than 40% in 2012 - agree that “global warming is a serious and pressing problem” and that “we should be doing something about that even if significant costs are involved” (Google “Lowy poll 2015”).

Later this year there will be a UN conference in Paris on climate change.

The UN is pushing countries to nominate real and significant targets in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

The Lowy Institute wondered what we think about this and in the poll found that no less than 63% of us agreed that “the Australian government should commit to significant reduction so that other countries will be encouraged to do so”.

The make up of that 63% is interesting – only 56% of us blokes thought that compared to 70% of women and 70% of the youngies aged 18 to 29.

And always there are the opponents. About 35% of us say that Australia should not make significant commitments on emissions reductions ahead of other countries.

So, hopefully Australia will display the leadership role in this vital global issue as it has so often on other issues in the past.