Global warming likely to exceed 1.5°C Paris Agreement target

A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that global average temperatures are expected to surpass the 1.5°C target established by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Even if current government climate pledges are fully met, warming could reach 1.8°C later this century, while maintaining current policies could lead to a 2.6°C increase by 2100.

Exceeding the 1.5°C threshold is expected to result in more frequent and intense heatwaves and heavy rainfall. It also increases the risk of reaching climate tipping points, such as the destabilization of polar ice caps in Greenland and West Antarctica.

To manage these consequences, there is an urgent need to increase focus on adaptation, loss and damage, and geoengineering, alongside redoubled efforts to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. This will require significantly higher investments in resilience, including sea defenses and drought-resistant crops.