UN Report Highlights Urgent Climate Crisis

A recent UN report reveals an 80% likelihood that at least one of the next five years will see global temperatures exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, with a 47% chance that the five-year mean from 2024 to 2028 will surpass this threshold, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

The report states that greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, driving ongoing temperature increases, and notes that 2023 was the warmest year on record. Under current policies, there is a two-thirds probability of global warming reaching 3°C this century, it added.

The report further notes that global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022, totaling 57.4 billion tons of CO2 equivalent. To limit warming to below 2°C and 1.5°C, emissions must be reduced by 28% and 42%, respectively, by 2030.

The upcoming UN Summit of the Future aims to revitalize global commitments to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development.