Global temperatures to cross 1.5-degree Celsius

Global temperatures are on track to surpass the critical 1.5-degree Celsius threshold, possibly within the coming years, according to a recent UN report. This alarming development could exacerbate extreme weather events, accelerate ecosystem degradation, and threaten low-lying coastal communities. The report, titled Limiting Overshoot, underscores the urgency of slashing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the worst climate impacts.

While it remains possible to reverse warming and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, the report warns that the longer this delay, the more severe and prolonged the consequences. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, emphasized that the extreme heat, wildfires, and floods witnessed this summer are a stark warning of the future.

He stressed the need for an aggressive reduction in emissions, including methane, to keep the overshoot as brief and minimal as possible. Achieving this requires a combination of quick action to cut emissions, bolstering resilience and adaptation measures, and utilizing Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) techniques like reforestation to ensure long-term net-negative emissions.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, called for a renewed push in climate action, emphasizing that it is feasible to steer the world onto a safer path by aggressively addressing the root cause of climate change.