U.N. Says World Will Miss Its 1.5 Degree Climate Target

Live updates

1. 12d ago

   UN Warns Global Warming Will Miss 1.5C Target

   The United Nations warns that the world will miss its Paris Agreement climate target, with global heating projected to hit at least 1.8 degrees Celsius soon. Officials state there are no good outcomes remaining as the planet is set to overshoot critical thresholds within a few years. A landmark report acknowledges that Earth has lost its chance to prevent severe global warming impacts, prompting a strategic focus on how to eventually reverse the temperature rise and return below the danger zone.

   Why it matters

   Surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold marks a major setback in international climate policy, shifting the focus from prevention to managing unavoidable harms and eventual recovery. Vulnerable states have sounded alarms as scientists warn of severe consequences including extreme weather and flooding. The newly released United Nations report attempts to map a path to bring temperatures back down after the overshoot.

   What is confirmed

   • The United Nations warns that global warming will exceed the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement target and reach at least 1.8 degrees Celsius.
   • Global temperature rises are projected to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius within a few years.

   What to watch next

   • International policy responses to the United Nations report
   • Further details on the specific pathways outlined to reverse global warming
   Sources used for this update (21)

   1. The New York Times — U.N. Says World Will Miss Its Climate Target, Warming Must Be Reversed
   2. The Guardian — Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’
   3. Bloomberg.com — UN Says Global Warming Will Cross 1.5C Soon, Hit at Least 1.8C
   4. AP News — Global warming will exceed limit, UN says in a report that maps path to get back below danger zone
   5. The Conversation — A landmark UN report says the world will overshoot the 1.5°C climate target. What happens now?
   6. The Washington Post — The world is certain to overshoot a critical climate threshold, U.N. warns
   7. New Scientist — Can we really reverse global warming after overshooting 1.5°C?
   8. Reuters — Global temperature rises to exceed 1.5 Celsius 'within a few years', UNEP says
   9. NDTV — Earth Set To Overshoot Paris Agreement's 1.5 Degree Threshold Of Warming: UN
   10. Euronews.com — The world is on track to overshoot 1.5°C – but there’s a pathway out
   11. UN News — ‘Fight for humanity’: Avoiding a climate catastrophe means acting now
   12. unep.org — Overshoot explained: 5 things to understand about a world beyond 1.5°C
   confidence 100%