UN: World must navigate reality of 1.5C overshoot
Water vapor rises from the cooling towers at the Jänschwalde power plant in Turnow-Preilack, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (dpa via AP)
The United Nations outlined on Sept. 2 how the world might bring global temperatures back to 1.5 degrees Celsius once the milestone target is breached in a first-of-its-kind assessment that drew criticism from climate activists.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres last year acknowledged the inevitability of overshooting 1.5 degrees, but this is the first time a U.N. agency has addressed this head-on in a dedicated report.
Scientists agree that warming above 1.5 degrees relative to pre-industrial times poses grave risks and nearly 200 nations committed in 2015 to try and keep global temperature rises to this safer threshold.
