UN warns world could be 2.8 degrees Celsius warmer by 2100 on current course

The threat of climate change is growing more serious by the day, and a new United Nations report has deepened global concern. According to the report, the goal of keeping global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius is now almost impossible to achieve. The reason given is that no country in the world is fully and honestly committed to the task, with everyone waiting on everyone else.

A sample of this has been seen in the devastation in Nepal. Countries are making many promises to check climate change, but efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions are falling short in reality. The UN Environment Programme has issued a grave warning that if things continue as they are, the Earth's temperature could rise by 2.8 degrees Celsius by 2100.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has set out this harsh truth in its Emissions Gap Report 2026. According to the report, the chance of keeping global temperature within 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels is now gone. Even in the best case, temperatures could rise by 1.7 to 1.8 degrees around 2050. The report also says, however, that if the right steps are taken, there is still a chance of bringing the temperature back below 1.5 degrees by the end of this century.

To slow the pace of climate change, the world will have to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Compared with 2025, emissions need to fall 18 per cent by 2030, 45 per cent by 2035 and 69 per cent by 2040. But the projected reduction by 2030 compared with 2025 is only 5 to 8 per cent.

There is thus a very wide gap between countries' promises and actual action. The report makes clear that all countries must now make an honest effort to hand the next generation a better environment and a healthier planet.

The effects of rising temperatures will not be confined to the environment. They will also affect human life, farming, water supply and the economy. Problems such as rising sea levels, melting glaciers, heavy rain, forest fires and intense heatwaves could grow more severe.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also appealed to countries to take immediate, concrete steps to cut emissions. These issues will be discussed globally at the upcoming COP31 climate conference. The time has come for action, not just promises.