For over a decade, the world has been trying to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-Industrial Revolution levels. However, according to a new United Nations report, this target is no longer achievable. The publication states that we will likely exceed 1.5°C as early as 2030.
The consequences are especially severe for island nations, such as those in the Pacific islands near Australia, which face the rapid rise of sea levels. These countries are considered on the front lines of the effects of climate change.
In response to the report, the president of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., stated that it is hard to overstate the intensity of the emotion for those living in this situation, especially after having fought so hard to put the 1.5-degree limit at the center of the Paris Agreement. He emphasized that calls for more ambition are no longer sufficient — an urgent and unprecedented increase in political will and investment in a climate-safe future is necessary.
The only positive point mentioned in the report is that it is still possible for the exceeding of the target to be a temporary deviation, leaving open the possibility of recovery if significant actions are taken quickly.
