• UN warns global warming could exceed 1.5C in the next decade.
• Current national climate plans suggest warming may reach 2.5C this century.
• Global emissions hit a record high, necessitating urgent cuts.
• COP30 climate conference is set to discuss global climate action.
• UN calls for faster and deeper emissions reductions to avoid catastrophic impacts.

The United Nations warns that the world is “very likely” to exceed the critical 1.5C global warming threshold within the next decade, with projections indicating a rise of up to 2.5C by the end of the century if current policies continue. This alarming assessment was detailed in the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) latest Emissions Gap Report, which emphasizes that despite numerous national climate pledges, global warming trends remain dire. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted, “Nations have had three attempts to deliver promises made under the Paris Agreement, and each time they have landed off target,” highlighting the insufficiency of current action plans, according to Al Jazeera, Channel News Asia, and Anadolu Agency.

According to UNEP, if the existing commitments are fully implemented, global temperatures could rise between 2.3C and 2.5C, while a continuation of current policies suggests a potential increase of around 2.8C. The report indicates that only about one-third of countries have announced emissions reduction targets for 2035, further emphasizing the global community's inadequate response to climate challenges. The lack of ambition in recent pledges has led to a scenario where meaningful reductions seem increasingly out of reach, as outlined by Anne Olhoff, UNEP’s chief scientific editor, according to Channel News Asia and Anadolu Agency.

Record-high emissions in 2024 were linked to increased output from countries like India, China, Russia, and Indonesia, with the G20 economies contributing significantly. In light of this, the UNEP stresses the urgent need for unprecedented cuts to greenhouse gas emissions to avoid catastrophic climate outcomes. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an acceleration in climate actions and has emphasized that, while the current outlook is bleak, the technology to achieve significant reductions in emissions is available. This sentiment serves as a rallying call ahead of the upcoming COP30 climate conference in Brazil, according to Al Jazeera, Channel News Asia, and Anadolu Agency.

The UNEP further indicated that keeping warming below 1.5C is crucial for safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems and communities. Each fraction of a degree averted mitigates the risk of severe environmental and human impacts, reinforcing the imperative for action. As the world approaches a likely overshoot of this critical threshold, the focus must pivot to how to minimize it and pave the way for recovery, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.