Despite a brief dip in carbon dioxide emissions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is still heading for a temperature rise in excess of 3°C this century – far beyond the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C. However, a green pandemic recovery can cut around 25 per cent off the greenhouse emissions predicted in 2030 and put the world close to the 2°C pathway. Governments should pull out all the stops to implement a green recovery and strengthen their pledges before the next climate meeting in 2021.