UN report: The world is whiffing on its biggest climate goal
The United Nations reports that the world will miss its primary climate goal of limiting warming to 1.5C, with temperatures projected to hit at least 1.8C. Officials state that some of the worst impacts of global warming are now unavoidable. While the 1.5C threshold will be crossed soon, scientists maintain a return to that level is possible through rapid emissions cuts and carbon removal. The UN is now focusing on mapping a path to bring temperatures back below the danger zone after this overshoot.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ The UN warns global heating will reach at least 1.8C.
- ✓ Global warming is expected to cross the 1.5C threshold soon.
- ✓ A return to 1.5C is possible if the world implements carbon removal and deep, rapid emissions cuts.
- ✓ The UN has acknowledged that the world has lost its chance to prevent some of the worst harms of global warming.
What changed
A UN report confirms the 1.5C target will be missed and projects a minimum warming of 1.8C.
Live updates
-
UN Warns Global Warming Will Reach at Least 1.8C
The United Nations reports that the world will miss its primary climate goal of limiting warming to 1.5C, with temperatures projected to hit at least 1.8C. Officials state that some of the worst impacts of global warming are now unavoidable. While the 1.5C threshold will be crossed soon, scientists maintain a return to that level is possible through rapid emissions cuts and carbon removal. The UN is now focusing on mapping a path to bring temperatures back below the danger zone after this overshoot.
Why it matters
The 1.5C limit was established as a critical threshold to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Exceeding this limit creates a scenario known as overshoot. Current projections suggest the world has lost the chance to prevent certain harms.
What is confirmed
- The UN warns global heating will reach at least 1.8C.
- Global warming is expected to cross the 1.5C threshold soon.
- A return to 1.5C is possible if the world implements carbon removal and deep, rapid emissions cuts.
- The UN has acknowledged that the world has lost its chance to prevent some of the worst harms of global warming.
What to watch next
- Implementation of deep emissions cut policies
- Development of scalable carbon removal technologies
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (15)
- The New York Times — U.N. Says World Will Miss Its Climate Target, Warming Must Be Reversed
- The Guardian — Global heating will hit at least 1.8C, UN warns, and there are ‘no good outcomes’
- Bloomberg.com — UN Says Global Warming Will Cross 1.5C Soon, Hit at Least 1.8C
- UNEP - UN Environment Programme — Limiting Overshoot - Navigating exceedance of 1.5°C and pathways towards return
- UN News — ‘Fight for humanity’: Avoiding a climate catastrophe means acting now
- unep.org — Overshoot explained: 5 things to understand about a world beyond 1.5°C
- CBC — Climate change past the point of no return, UN says, as worst impacts are now unavoidable
- ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos — Global warming will exceed limit, UN says in a report that maps path to get back below danger zone
- vox.com — UN report: The world is whiffing on its biggest climate goal
- Inside Climate News — Climate ‘Overshoot’ Is Coming—Are We Ready?
- Mother Jones — Global Heating Will Hit at Least 1.8 C, UN Warns, With “No Good Outcomes”
- Financial Times — Vulnerable states sound alarm as UN says planet will surpass 1.5C of warming
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community