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UN report says 1.5C warming threshold lost
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
UN report says 1.5C warming threshold will be missed, likely in next few years.
The report shifts focus to navigating overshoot and cooling back below 1.5C.
Background
The UN Environment Programme released a report on September 2, 2026, stating that global warming will exceed the 1.5C target set in the Paris Agreement, likely within the next few years. This is a departure from previous UN positions that the target was still achievable. The report outlines a path to 'navigate' the overshoot and eventually cool temperatures back below 1.5C by the end of the century, but only if heating stays below about 1.8C.
How it unfolded
- 2015Paris Agreement sets 1.5C goal to limit warming.
- Sep 2, 2026UNEP report says 1.5C overshoot is unavoidable, likely in next few years.
- Sep 2, 2026Report authors and climate-vulnerable nations react with dismay.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- UN report says the best option has shifted 'from avoiding overshoot to navigating it'.
- Public
- Tuvalu's climate minister says the blunt message 'really struck those who live in low-lying atolls'.
- Expert
- Co-author Richard Betts calls it a 'reality check' but says there's still a lot we can do to limit warming.