A UNEP report released on 2 September examines the consequences of global warming exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C threshold. It considers this overshoot likely within the next few years, while stressing that its scale and duration still matter. Higher temperatures lasting longer would increase risks for communities and ecosystems. The report therefore argues for limiting the peak and shortening the period above the threshold. Crossing a target is not presented as a reason to abandon efforts to reduce further warming.
The proposed pathway combines sustained emissions cuts with adaptation to impacts that societies already face or may encounter. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would play an additional role, not replace reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Even a later return below the threshold would not undo irreversible losses. This makes prevention and preparation complementary rather than competing priorities. The report highlights a distinction: reducing future temperature risks and protecting people now must proceed together, although neither can eliminate the consequences of delayed action.