Global temperature rise set to cross 1.5-degree Celsius threshold: UN

Amid growing concerns about climate change and global warming not only in India but across the world along with the recent Nepal flash flood a new report released by the United Nations UN on Wednesday September 2 has revealed that global temperature rise is set to cross the 15degree Celsius threshold likely within the next few years intensifying extreme weather ecosystem loss and submersion of small island developing nationsThe report called Limiting Overshoot has been released by the UN Environment Programme UNEP and has emphasised the need for immediate and sustained cuts to greenhouse gas emissionsGlobal temperature rise is set to cross 15 degrees Celsius likely within the next few years pushing climate risks and impacts to increasingly dangerous heights but it is still possible to bring temperatures down and achieve global goals in the Paris Agreement the report saidThe 15 degrees Celsius was a safe temperature threshold that was agreed upon at the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement on December 12 that was adopted by 195 countries to keep it well below the 2 degree Celsius limit to deal with global warming due to the burning of coal oil and gas The world is now at 14 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels some scientists have calculated The measure is based on a 20year average rather than a single yearrsquos temperaturesNow above that mark the risks and impacts will intensify with every extra fraction of a degree and every year the report adds The expected impacts of the increase in temperature include intensified extreme weather ecosystem loss and submersion of small island developing states and lowlying coastal cities it saidThe UN report also identified an overshoot peak and decline pathway as the best remaining option to minimise the magnitude and duration of the overshoot and to try to return to below 15 degrees Celsius as soon as possibleIn a statement UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres said This summers scorching heat raging wildfires and deadly floods are a warning of what lies ahead We must make the overshoot above 15 degrees as small and short as possible That demands an overshoot of ambitionThere is a need to minimise peak temperature rise through immediate and sustained cuts to greenhouse gas emissions including methane on the road to netzero said the reportMoreover even as the temperatures rise the report said it is important that they must be brought down through longterm netnegative emissions with carefully governed Carbon Dioxide Removal CDR which is the process of removing carbon from the air and storing it through afforestation or other means as an essential part of the mixIt also said the most optimistic scenario has warming peaking at 18 degrees Celsius around midcentury if countries pursue ambitious climate goals but that governmentsrsquo current policies should push temperatures to 26 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by 2100So instead of preventing warming of 15 degrees now the UN said it wants policymakers to ldquoprepare for and navigate a futurersquorsquo in which the globe crosses that limit and then corrects course and cools temperaturesInger Andersen who is the executive director of UNEP said Now is the time we must double down on climate action We can and must get on the right path By cutting greenhouse gas emissions strengthening resilience and adaptation and ensuring exceedance of 15 degrees Celsius is as small and short as possibleHe added ldquoLetrsquos be very clear 15 target is still the goal But now we need to approach it differently from aboveWith inputs from PTI and AP