UN sounds for 'hellish' alarm as world on track 3C rise in temperatures

Report calling for drastic cuts in emissions raises stakes ahead of Cop28

- Damian Carrington

The world is on track for a "hellish" 3C of global heating, the UN has warned before the crucial Cop28 climate summit that begins next week in the United Arab Emirates.

The UN Environment Programme (Unep) report found that today's carbon-cutting policies were so inadequate that 3C of heating would be reached this century.

Temperature records have already been obliterated in 2023 and intensifying heatwaves, floods and droughts have taken lives and hit livelihoods across the globe, in response to a temperature rise of 1.4C to date.

Scientists say far worse is to come if temperatures continue to rise.

The secretary general of the UN, António Guterres, has said repeatedly that the world is heading for a "hellish" future.

The Un report said that implementing future policies already promised by countries would shave 0.1C off the 3C limit. Putting in place emissions cuts pledged by developing countries on condition of receiving financial and technical support would cut the temperature rise to 2.5C, still a catastrophic scenario.

To get on track for the internationally agreed target of 1.5C, 22bn tonnes of CO2 must be cut from the currently projected total in 2030, the report said. That is 42% of global emissions and equivalent to the output of the world's five worst polluters: China, US, India, Russia and Japan.