Global Heating Will Hit at Least 1.8 C, UN Warns, With “No Good Outcomes”
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Global heating will reach at least 1.8 C under even the most optimistic future, well beyond the Paris agreement goal of 1.5 C, according to a UN report that warns every fraction of temperature rise intensifies destructive extreme weather, glacier melt, […]
A UN report warns that global temperatures will rise at least 1.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, far exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees limit, according to a report by the Guardian and Climate Desk collaboration. The authors state that surpassing the 1.5 degrees threshold is now "unavoidable" despite some progress in addressing climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.
They warn that even a single degree increase intensifies extreme weather events, glacier melting, ecosystem loss, and threatens island and coastal cities. The report suggests a "no good outcomes" scenario above 1.5 degrees Celsius. The organization urges immediate and unprecedented political action, investing in a climate-safe future.
The authors note that a significant portion of glacier mass could disappear by 2100, causing sea levels to rise by up to 13 cm. They emphasize that food production could decline up to 14 percent by 2050 without effective adaptation strategies. The report emphasizes that nature's capacity to store carbon diminishes as temperatures rise, making carbon dioxide removal crucial alongside deep cuts in fossil emissions.
Some irreversible losses are anticipated, including the need for communities to relocate or change livelihoods. The report's president, Surangel Whipps Jr., refers to the findings as a "fork in the road moment for the planet" and calls for a shift in climate governance to address an overshoot pathway.
Written by urgent.news from Mother Jones's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
