UN warns of rising global temperatures

The United Nations has issued a warning that Earth's average temperature could rise by 2.6 to 2.8 degrees Celsius by 2100, even if governments follow their current climate commitments. This prediction comes from a report published on October 21, which highlights that global greenhouse gas emissions reached record levels in 2025.

Climate plans deemed insufficient

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called national climate plans and current policies "dangerously insufficient" during the launch of the annual report. He emphasized that the projected warming range of 2.6 to 2.8 degrees Celsius is a result of these inadequate efforts to curb emissions.

Concept of "overshoot" explored

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) discussed the idea of "overshoot" in its annual report, a scenario where global temperatures may temporarily exceed the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold before being brought back down. This would require massive efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and could involve techniques like CO2 capture.

Temporary warming above 1.5°C possible

According to the UNEP report, the best-case scenario for the overshoot approach would see global temperatures rise to 1.7 or 1.8 degrees Celsius. While this exceeds the most ambitious target in the Paris Agreement, the UN suggests it could be temporary if measures like geoengineering are used, although the organization views such methods as "risky and costly."

Need for urgent global action

The United Nations stressed that without significant and coordinated global efforts, countries will at best limit the average temperature rise to between 1.7 and 1.8 degrees Celsius by mid-century. This underscores the urgent need for drastic and immediate action to combat global warming.