UN warns world will breach critical 1.5°C warming limit within years

The United Nations has warned that the world is on track to exceed the critical 1.5°C warming limit, as agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord, within just a few years. In a report based on the work of numerous scientists, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) stated that current government efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are inadequate, heightening the dangers of extreme weather, rising sea levels, and ecosystem degradation.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen highlighted that the world has already witnessed the consequences of inaction, with extreme heatwaves demonstrating that climate impacts are accelerating, causing more damage, and persisting longer, posing increasing threats to human health, food and water security, and infrastructure. While it remains possible to keep temperatures below the 1.5°C threshold, significant uncertainty exists regarding the feasibility of achieving this goal.

Even in the most optimistic scenario, temperatures are projected to peak at around 1.8°C before potentially dropping back to 1.5°C this century, according to the report. To bring temperatures back under the 1.5°C level, rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary, complemented by extensive carbon dioxide removal efforts, such as forest restoration and direct air capture technologies.

UNEP emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that the question now is whether countries with higher emissions are prepared to take stronger action. While some nations are showing progress, Andersen stressed that the pace of change is insufficient to prevent the dire consequences outlined in the report. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had previously stated that global temperatures are expected to briefly surpass the 1.5°C threshold compared to pre-industrial levels.