Driving electric cars will not make a dent in global carbon emissions, and may even increase pollution levels, says the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its latest World Energy Outlook. It bases this premise on any reduction in emissions from electric vehicles being offset by the increased use of carbonised power plants to charge them. To reduce harmful pollution significantly by 2040, the IEA concludes that electrification will have to form part of a comprehensive package of policies to reduce power sector carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. Bloomberg reports that the clamour for global action to dramatically cut emissions has reached fever pitch since the publication of a United Nations report that called for a yearly investment of $2.4-trillion in clean energy to avoid irreversible damage to the world.