Axios PM

Nothing is happening remotely fast enough to save humanity from facing the self-inflicted disaster of runaway climate change, writes Axios' Ben Geman.

• That's the key takeaway from a new UN report that shows greenhouse gas emissions increasing last year, despite the need to cut them substantially by 2030.
• Even more ominous, investment in clean energy in developing nations actually fell last year, led by China.

Between the lines: Concentrations of two other major greenhouse gases — methane and nitrous oxide — increased more in 2017–2018 than average increases over the prior 10 years.

• Why it matters: “There is no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline, in greenhouse gases concentration in the atmosphere despite all the commitments under the Paris Agreement," World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement with the report.

The big picture: The world needs to cut emissions by 25% by 2030 to keep warming to 2°C, and a much steeper 55% to keep it within 1.5°C.

• But under current pledges, the world is on course for a 3.2°C rise by century's end.

President Trump pardons "Butter" during the traditional event in the Rose Garden.

1. The House Judiciary Committee will hold an impeachment hearing on Dec. 4. Go deeper.
2. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. has a "duty" to investigate a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 presidential election by hacking the Democratic National Committee's network servers. Go deeper.
3. The Cave Fire, which is burning north of Santa Barbara, California, has forced at least 6,300 people to evacuate their homes and threatened an estimated 2,400 structures. Go deeper.
4. The Indian government confirmed its Vikram lunar lander crashed or "hard landed" during its September mission. Go deeper.
5. P.S. Michael Bloomberg's 2020 run is a test of America's entrepreneurial aspirations. Go deeper.

Soy sauce "has been transformed into a dollar-a-drop luxury to be fussed over like a fine wine," write Suryatapa Bhattacharya and River Davis for a Wall Street Journal A-hed (subscription).

• "Barrel-aged versions have been around in Japan for centuries, but only recently have caught on with foodies in other countries. That notice is giving upscale soy sauce a boost at home too."
• The price can reflect the craft: Shikoku's Kamebishi brewery offers 24-ounce bottles for as much as $85 — and even "has one batch that has been aging for 39 years reserved for special customers."