Global Warming to Breach 1.5°C Threshold: UN

The world is likely to exceed the critical 1.5°C global warming threshold above pre-industrial levels within the next few years, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released on Wednesday (September 2). The report, titled Limiting Overshoot, says that even if countries fully implement their current climate commitments, global warming could peak at around 1.8°C. Under current policies, warming could reach about 2.6°C by the end of the century.

UNEP warned that the longer global temperatures remain above 1.5°C, the greater the risks to people and nature. These risks include major changes to glaciers, ice sheets, sea ice, permafrost and snow cover, as well as rising sea levels, extreme heat, wildfires, floods and ecosystem damage. However, the report said exceeding 1.5°C does not mean climate action has failed. UNEP called for a “crossing, peaking and falling” pathway, aimed at bringing global warming back below 1.5°C as quickly as possible.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said that even after the 1.5°C threshold is crossed, every fraction of a degree matters because climate risks increase as temperatures rise. The report calls for rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions along with measures to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

However, UNEP stressed that carbon removal cannot replace emissions reductions and that both measures are necessary. Recent floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet, which caused widespread loss of life, have further highlighted the growing risks linked to climate change. UNEP warned that such risks are likely to intensify as global temperatures continue to rise.

Source: Reuters