UN Concedes 1.5C Global Warming Breach Is Inevitable Under Current Policies

The UN Environment Programme's "Limiting Overshoot" report concludes that the world will inevitably exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming above pre-industrial levels. Current global temperatures are hovering around 1.4 degrees, making the 1.5-degree mark a new baseline rather than a theoretical ceiling. The best-case scenario, assuming all current climate commitments are fully implemented, projects warming to reach a minimum of 1.8 degrees Celsius. The report warns there is a distinct possibility of hitting 2.6 degrees by 2100 if the world continues on its current track. Reversing the temperature back to 1.5 degrees will require achieving sustained net-negative CO2 emissions globally in the second half of this century. "But now we need to approach it differently from above. Every tenth of a degree we avoid still means less damage." — Inger Andersen