Environment & Climate
UN report says world set to breach 1.5-degree warming limit
Deutsche Welle reports that a UN report says overshooting 1.5 degrees Celsius is imminent and unavoidable, with US withdrawal from climate action worsening the outlook.
The short version
- A UN Environment Programme report says the world is set to breach the 1.5-degree Celsius limit, with US withdrawal from climate action worsening the outlook.[Deutsche Welle]
- Current policies point to 2.8 degrees Celsius of warming this century, and 2.6 degrees even if countries meet their new pledges.[Deutsche Welle]
- Preliminary estimates show emissions rose in 2025 in Indonesia, China and the United States, with the US increase far exceeding other countries.[Deutsche Welle]
Key facts
- The UN Environment Programme's annual Emissions Gap Report says overshooting the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold is now imminent and unavoidable.[Deutsche Welle]
- If current climate policies continue, temperatures are projected to rise by an average of 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century.[Deutsche Welle]
- Even if countries meet their new climate pledges, global warming is still projected to reach 2.6 degrees Celsius.[Deutsche Welle]
- Some 167 countries have submitted climate action plans to the UN, covering 83% of global greenhouse gas emissions.[Deutsche Welle]
- The US emissions increase in 2025 far exceeded that of all other countries, driven by a resurgence of coal and rising electricity demand partly linked to AI data center expansion.[Deutsche Welle]
- China's pilot carbon-pricing schemes reduced emissions by about 11%, and the European Union's emissions trading system cut emissions by 8%, compared with projected levels without these policies.[Deutsche Welle]
- Global renewable electricity capacity has grown three times faster than anticipated, and solar build-out grew seven times faster.[Deutsche Welle]
What remains uncertain
- The 2025 emissions increases for Indonesia, China and the United States are preliminary estimates, not confirmed final figures.[Deutsche Welle]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Rising emissions and temperatures: The cost of Trump's climate retreat is now clearDeutsche Welle
- World must cut emissions by 18% in four years ‘to find our way back’, UN saysThe Guardian - Environment
- UN projections say world is losing ground in fight to curb climate changeABC News - Business
- UN projections say world is losing ground in fight to curb climate change, faulting US a bitAssociated Press