The latest scientific assessment by an international team of climate scientists that I lead shows how human activity is warming the world more rapidly than ever before, and we are now perilously close to the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C guardrail. This evidence underscores the need for decisive climate action at the UN’s upcoming climate summit, Cop29, through a collective global effort despite complex and fragile geopolitical circumstances.
Decisions made and commitments announced at the summit over the next two weeks in Azerbaijan will shape our future climate. But the science is already clear: we are not on track to avoid the most dangerous climate change.
The extreme weather and intense climate impacts experienced this year give an indication of the road ahead, unless leaders can agree and put into action strong and urgent cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, both domestically and across the globe.
