The United Nations outlined on Wednesday how the world might bring global temperatures back to 1.5C once the milestone target is breached in a first-of-its-kind assessment that drew criticism from climate activists. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last year acknowledged the inevitability of overshooting 1.5C, but this is the first time a UN agency has addressed this head-on in a dedicated report.
Scientists agree that warming above 1.5C 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. But the world is expected to blow past 1.5C in a matter of years, and attention has pivoted to making any 'overshoot' as brief and contained as possible.
In a much-anticipated report, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) stated unequivocally that 1.5C would be surpassed and 'the challenge has shifted from avoiding overshoot to navigating it'.
The findings have sparked intense debate among policymakers and environmentalists regarding the long-term viability of mitigation strategies versus adaptation measures. Observers emphasize that aggressive emission cuts remain crucial even as preparations for managing an overshoot are put in place.