- A UN report warns that 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, and that every fraction of temperature rise intensifies destructive extreme weather, glacier melt, ecosystem loss, and island and coastal city submersion.
- The report by the Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP) confirmed overshooting the 1.5 C goal is now unavoidable and likely in the next few years, stating: “There are no good outcomes above 1.5 C.”
- The report recommends an overshoot, peak, and decline pathway requiring immediate and sustained emissions cuts plus carbon dioxide removal, and describes net zero emissions as “an essential milestone that cannot be skipped.”
- The report, titled Limiting Overshoot, says the average global temperature could be returned to 1.5 C this century only if heating stayed below about 1.8 C.
- Heating of up to 3 C above preindustrial levels could lead to glaciers losing more than a quarter of their mass by 2100, raising sea levels by up to 13 cm, and global food production could decline by up to 14 percent by 2050 without effective adaptation strategies.
- The president of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., called the report “a fork in the road moment for the planet,” and said, “We need to see an urgent and unprecedented increase in political will and investment in a climate safe future.”
- Vishal Prasad, from Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, said the report was terrifying for young people from the Pacific, and stressed that keeping to 1.5 C is a legal obligation under international law, not a choice.
- The UNEP executive director, Inger Andersen, said extreme heatwaves were already proving climate impacts would “strike faster, hit harder and last longer,” and that “every fraction of a degree avoided” will save lives and reduce economic losses.
A UN report warns that global heating is set to exceed 1.8 C, surpassing the Paris Agreement's target of 1.5 C, with severe consequences for the planet. The report states that every fraction of temperature rise exacerbates extreme weather, glacier melt, and ecosystem loss.12361112
The UN Environment Programme describes the overshoot of the 1.5 C goal as now “unavoidable,” despite some progress in combating climate change. It emphasizes that “there are no good outcomes above 1.5 C.”
The report warns that if global temperatures rise by up to 3 C, glaciers could lose more than a quarter of their mass by 2100, raising sea levels by up to 13 cm. Additionally, global food production could decline by up to 14 percent by 2050 without effective adaptation strategies.78
The report advocates for an “overshoot, peak, and decline” pathway, requiring immediate greenhouse gas emissions cuts and carbon dioxide removal. It stresses that achieving net zero emissions is essential and cannot be skipped.45
Palau's president, Surangel Whipps Jr., called the report a “fork in the road moment for the planet,” urging for urgent political will and investment in a climate-safe future. The UNEP executive director, Inger Andersen, highlighted the need for immediate action, stating, “Every fraction of a degree avoided... will save lives and protect ecosystems.”9101314
“The report, titled Limiting Overshoot, says temperatures could return to 1.5 C this century only if heating stays below about 1.8 C. Palau's president Surangel Whipps Jr. called it 'a fork in the road moment for the planet,' urging unprecedented political will and investment.”
Mother Jones
