UN chief warns world is set to breach 1.5°C warming limit

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is on course to exceed the 1.5°C global warming threshold within the coming years, urging governments to accelerate efforts to limit the scale and duration of the overshoot.

Speaking after the release of a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Guterres said countries were failing to meet the climate target agreed under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“Humanity is speeding past the limit to avoid climate catastrophe,” Guterres said.

The 1.5°C threshold, measured against the pre-industrial period, has been identified by scientists as a critical benchmark for limiting the risks posed by climate change. The latest UNEP assessment indicates that the world is set to exceed the threshold, increasing pressure on governments to strengthen emissions cuts.

Guterres said every additional fraction of warming would increase risks to lives, livelihoods and ecosystems, while potentially worsening inequality.

However, he said exceeding 1.5°C would not mean that climate action had become pointless.

“We can still bring warming back below 1.5 degrees by the end of the century,” Guterres said, calling for the period of warming above the threshold to be kept “as small and short as possible”.

The UN chief pointed to extreme heat, wildfires and deadly floods in recent months as signs of the growing risks associated with a warming climate.

“Now is a time to raise ambition and accelerate action,” Guterres said. “The fight for 1.5 degrees is the fight for humanity.”

The warning comes as countries face growing pressure to strengthen climate policies, cut greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Agencies