By Abbas Nazil
Global temperatures are on course to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels within the next decade, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Wednesday.
The 2025 Emissions Gap Report revealed that despite global commitments under the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions remain at record highs, pushing the world toward breaching the most ambitious temperature limit aimed at avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
UNEP’s Climate Change Division Director, Martin Krause, described the findings as “expected but sobering,” noting that the persistent rise in emissions is a direct warning of worsening climate consequences if urgent action is not taken.
The report shows that even if countries fully meet their current pledges, the planet could warm between 2.3°C and 2.5°C by the end of the century, a level scientists warn could trigger more extreme droughts, floods, and superstorms.
Global carbon dioxide levels are now the highest in at least two million years, with emissions rising by over two per cent in 2024 alone.
Although the Earth briefly reached 1.5°C of warming last year, UNEP clarified that the multi-decadal average—used to measure long-term climate trends—will likely cross the threshold permanently within 10 years.
To stay below 1.5°C, emissions must drop by 55 per cent by 2035, far exceeding current national commitments, which only promise a 12 to 15 per cent cut.
Krause stressed that every fraction of a degree of avoided warming could prevent severe damage to ecosystems, economies, and human lives.
He urged global leaders, especially from G20 nations responsible for about 75 per cent of emissions, to phase out fossil fuels, expand renewable energy, and reform financial systems to support developing countries.
Despite the grim outlook, the report noted progress since the Paris Agreement, citing rapid growth in renewable energy driven by falling costs.
“We have the technology and the know-how to end the climate crisis,” Krause said. “What we need now is the political will.”