Scientists warn of hitting 1.5C warming limit

(MENAFN) If current carbon emissions continue unchecked, the world may surpass the critical 1.5°C global warming threshold in as little as three years. This is the urgent message from over 60 top climate scientists who have released the most recent assessment of global temperature trends.

Back in 2015, nearly 200 nations committed to efforts aimed at keeping global temperature increases below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels—a goal designed to prevent some of the most devastating consequences of climate change.

However, despite this international pledge, countries have continued to burn record levels of fossil fuels and destroy carbon-rich forests, severely undermining the target.

"Things are all moving in the wrong direction," said lead author Prof Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures. "We're seeing some unprecedented changes and we're also seeing the heating of the Earth and sea-level rise accelerating as well."

He stressed that these developments are not surprising and can be directly linked to persistently high emissions. “These changes have been predicted for some time and we can directly place them back to the very high level of emissions,” he added.

Back in early 2020, scientific estimates suggested that humanity could emit no more than 500 billion additional tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to maintain a 50% likelihood of keeping warming at or below 1.5°C.

Now, just a few years later, by the start of 2025, that “carbon budget” has dwindled dramatically to only 130 billion tonnes, according to the newly released study—highlighting how quickly time is running out.

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