Paris (France) (AFP) – The United Nations presented on Wednesday the means to contain global global warming once the very symbolic threshold of +1.5°C has been crossed, in an unprecedented report which aroused the consternation of vulnerable countries and NGOs.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 12:15 Modified on: 02/09/2026 - 16:51

Last year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres already admitted that exceeding the 1.5°C mark was inevitable, but this is the first time that a UN agency has explored ways to limit the damage once this climate target is exceeded.

But the planet is expected to exceed this target within a few years, and attention is now focused on how best to minimize the intensity and duration of any so-called "overshoot" period.

In a report published on Wednesday, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) states unequivocally that the objective will not be achieved and that "the challenge is no longer to avoid overshooting, but to manage it".

“Back to reality”

"It's a return to reality (...) but there is still a lot to do to limit warming," said Richard Betts, co-author of the report, professor at the British University of Exeter, during a press conference on Tuesday.

This report "focuses on the answers to be provided rather than simply noting that the phenomenon is ongoing", he explained.

It is important for policy makers to realize that “the rules of the game have changed,” said Debra Roberts, co-author of the report. “We must now rethink our climate governance to face a trajectory of overshooting. None of our plans are prepared for this,” said the South African climatologist.

The report's findings alarmed activist groups and some leaders of vulnerable states.

“We know with certainty that climate change disproportionately affects Pacific countries. The costs we face in Tuvalu are disproportionate to those in other countries,” responded Maina Talia, Minister of Climate of Tuvalu, a Pacific state among the most threatened by rising sea levels.

According to Tina Stege, the Marshall Islands' special climate envoy, "we are battling a very powerful current that is pulling us into very dangerous waters."

“Heartbreaking moment”

“This is a heartbreaking moment, but this overshoot is no reason to give up and abandon the 1.5°C goal,” said Jasper Inventor, deputy program director at Greenpeace International.

Rachel Cleetus, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, called the failure of the 1.5°C target a “monumental climate injustice”.

The world has already warmed by around 1.4°C since the period 1850-1900, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. The last three years have been the warmest on record.

Scientists say exceeding 1.5°C risks leading to more extreme weather events and bringing the planet closer to tipping points such as the collapse of ice caps.

“There will be no favorable outcome if we stay above 1.5°C,” UNEP executive director Inger Andersen said on Tuesday, stressing that adaptation to climate change would be necessary.

“The fight to limit warming to 1.5 degrees is the fight for humanity,” insisted António Guterrez.

To achieve this, carbon dioxide sequestration – the process of extracting carbon from the air and storing it – would be essential, alongside deep and rapid reductions in emissions, the report said.

Carbon capture currently plays only a small role in the fight against climate change.

“The only way to minimize the damage is to reduce emissions now (...) and not to delay action with speculative technological solutions,” criticized Lili Fuhr, of the Center for International Environmental Law.

© 2026 AFP

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.