According to UNEP’s new Limiting Overshoot report, the multinational target of capping global warming at 1.5°C is now out of reach, with a best‑case peak warming of 1.8°C and a median projection of 2.6°C by 2100 under current policies. While retaining 1.5°C as the long‑term global goal, the report identifies an “overshoot, peak and decline” pathway relying on net‑negative greenhouse‑gas emissions as the best remaining option, covering immediate deep emission cuts, coping measures at peak temperatures and sustained net‑negative CO₂ emissions, alongside climate adaptation. It acknowledges the necessity of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) yet flags constraints on its large‑scale deployment. With the Paris Agreement counting 194 parties following the US’ formal withdrawal and partial progress since 2015, existing climate action remains insufficient to avoid crossing the 1.5°C threshold. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen warns of worsening extreme weather, ecosystem damage and irreversible tipping points above 1.5°C, urging intensified emission cuts and resilience‑building to minimise the magnitude and duration of warming overshoot.
Source: https://www.esgtoday.com/goal-to-limit-climate-change-to-1-5c-out-of-reach-un-report/