Everyone wishes to have truth on his side, but not everyone wishes to be on the side of truth.
- Richard Whately
Is the UN warning of 3,1 C global warming a surprise?
Enough with the 1.5-Degree Talk—Let’s Set Goals That Match Our New Reality
Let’s break it to ourselves: the 1.5-degree climate target is a lost cause. Back in 2022, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) declared that there’s “no plausible pathway” to reaching it anymore.
And while veteran climate diplomats might whisper that it’s “technically” achievable, the reality is that this target has become practically unattainable.
To put it plainly, the solemn promise made by the world’s nations in 2015—to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century—is dead.
It’s expected that within just a few years, likely in the early 2030s, this highly symbolic benchmark will be crossed.
And frankly, that’s a bombshell. Because where do we go from here? Who will take on the thankless task of telling young people, with some credibility, that the world won’t come crashing down because this target wasn’t met?
Who will own up to the failures that got us here, and who will step forward—credibly—to promise that the 2-degree goal will be our next hard stop?
And how many fear-mongers will jump at the chance to fuel panic and division?
It’s high time for our leaders to tell it like it is: we’re losing the 1.5-degree target, and here’s why.
Since the Paris Agreement of 2015, “climate action” has become a hazy buzzword in government policies around the globe, but also a fountain of frustration.
Promises, both formal and informal, have gone unfulfilled. Efforts to steer national policies along a globally agreed climate path have stumbled, while earlier progress has been reversed, and more ambitious goals have been left gathering dust.
The truth is, we need a complete rethink—starting with ditching the 1.5-degree mantra that no one really believes in anymore.
New goals must be grounded in reality, aimed at helping us adapt to a world that is warming despite our best efforts.
It’s time to set objectives that reflect our new normal and can drive real, tangible change.
Sincerely,
Adaptation- Guide
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