Climate science says 1.5C is dead. No one wants to bury it.
Leaders at COP31 want to keep the totemic goal alive, even after the U.N. declared it impossible to hit.
The 1.5 degree Celsius climate target has been declared effectively dead by the global scientific community. Even with drastic emission reductions and extensive carbon removal efforts, the best-case scenario sees temperatures increase by 1.8 degrees Celsius. However, countries are struggling to keep the goal alive. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged leaders to "double down" on the fight for 1.5C.
Yet scientists warn that the collective ambition of national climate plans is now even weaker than projected. Island nations, already on the frontline of sea-level rise, view the 1.5C target as a matter of survival. Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, emphasized that overshoot would lead to catastrophic flooding and the destruction of towns, schools, and hospitals.
Despite this, many countries are reducing their climate efforts or expanding fossil fuel production. The United States, the world's largest emitter, has abandoned the Paris Agreement. While there's no consensus on a new target, the High Ambition Coalition of nations is calling for a credible response to the overshoot.
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