UN: World Will Breach 1.5°C Within Years—But a U-Turn Is Still Possible

**GENEVA** – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued a stark new warning: the world is on track to cross the 1.5°C global warming threshold within the next few years. However, the agency insists that reversing this trend is still achievable—if governments adopt a specific strategy of "overshoot, peak, and decline." The report, released on Monday, states that current emission trajectories will push temperatures past the critical limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. This overshoot period, even if temporary, would bring severe climate impacts, including extreme heat, rising seas, and biodiversity loss. UNEP’s proposed path is clear: allow a temporary overshoot, reach a peak in global temperatures, and then actively work to bring them back down. This would require rapid and deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, coupled with large-scale carbon removal technologies. In a separate statement, the environmental advocacy group 350.org pointed a finger at Turkey, which is set to host the COP31 climate summit. The group argues that Turkey, as a host nation, carries a special responsibility to align its own national policies with the UN’s latest findings—particularly by phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and accelerating its renewable energy transition. The UNEP report does not specify exactly when the 1.5°C threshold will be crossed, but it warns that every year of delayed action narrows the window for a controlled recovery. For now, the message is blunt: the goal is not dead, but it is on life support.