Three years left to limit warming to 1.5C, leading scientists warn

a year ago

The Earth could breach the 1.5C warming limit in as little as three years at current CO2 emission levels.
Nearly 200 countries agreed in 2015 to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Continued burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have put the 1.5C goal in peril.
The 'carbon budget' for a 50% chance of staying below 1.5C has shrunk to 130 billion tonnes by 2025.
Current CO2 emissions of about 40 billion tonnes per year could exhaust the carbon budget in roughly three years.
Human-caused warming reached 1.36C above pre-industrial levels in 2023, with a current warming rate of 0.27C per decade.
The planet is on track to reach 1.5C of warming by around 2030 if emissions remain high.
The rate of heating in the Earth's climate system has more than doubled since the 1970s and 1980s.
About 90% of excess heat is absorbed by oceans, leading to higher sea levels and disruption to marine life.
The rate of global sea-level rise has doubled since the 1990s, increasing flooding risks for coastal populations.
Rapid and stringent emissions cuts are crucial to mitigate further warming and its impacts.
Every fraction of warming avoided reduces harm, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Hasty Briefsbeta