Exceeding 1.5 C requires rethinking accountability in climate policy

"In 2024, global average temperatures exceeded 1.5 °C for the first time. Going above 1.5 °C in one year does not mean that the Paris threshold itself is technically breached - it is defined as an average over at least 20 years to account for year-to-year variations - but it indicates that the world is on track to pass it in a decade or less."

"Countries will need to commit not only to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions,but also to achieve and sustain net-negative emissions - by removing billions of tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere and durably storing it. They will need to confront the further loss and damage and the adaptation needs that arise as a result of exceeding the 1.5 °C limit."

Global average temperatures exceeded 1.5 °C in 2024 for the first time, indicating likely passage of the Paris 1.5 °C threshold within a decade because the limit is defined as a 20-year average. The International Court of Justice anchored 1.5 °C as the primary Paris limit. Exceeding that level—even temporarily—creates obligations to achieve and sustain net-negative CO2 emissions through removal and durable storage of billions of tonnes. Overshoot amplifies loss and damage and increases adaptation needs. Governments must confront why prevention failed and strengthen commitments, implementation and accountability to limit dangerous human interference.

Read at Nature