UN Warns Overshoot of 1.5 °C Climate Target
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned that global warming is heading well above the 1.5 °C threshold set by the Paris Agreement. According to its latest emissions-gap report, current climate pledges put the world on track for a rise of approximately 2.3 °C to 2.5 °C this century unless nations substantially ramp up their efforts.
Target Chances Fading
UNEP says limiting warming to 1.5 °C is still technically possible but increasingly unlikely. The deadline for global greenhouse-gas emissions to peak has already passed in many models. The gap between current commitments and the required cuts remains massive, estimated at 12 to 23 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually.
Consequences for Action
The warning arrives just ahead of the COP30 climate summit, where nations will review and update their targets. With emissions still rising and multiple high-emitting countries delaying new commitments, the report stresses that failure to act faster will deepen climate risks — including extreme heat waves, sea-level rise and ecosystem collapse.
