World's top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target

Data demonstrates how hundreds of the leading climate scientists have expectations of global temperatures rising way above the 1.5C initially agreed target for global temperature rise, causing concern for humanity and the planet. For instance, almost 80% of respondents, all from the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), predict at least a 2.5C global rise, with some predicting a minimum of a 3C rise. This is compared with just 6% who agree the initially agreed 1.5C limit would still be met.

There was a clear pessimistic view for the future climate from Gretta Pecl, at the University of Tasmania, who stated: “I think we are headed for major societal disruption within the next five years”. Additionally, scientists predict a “semi-dystopian” future, with famines, conflicts, mass migration, heatwaves and floods increasing in frequency.

It is clear how scientists fear the future for the global south, where again a “semi-dystopian future” can be imagined by a South African scientist who also stated how this would cause “substantial pain and suffering for the people of the global south”. Many predict that the global north will fail to help the global south, who suffer most from climate impacts.

Current climate policies have shown that the world is on track for approximately 2.7C.The IPCC does not have hopeful predictions for the future as they do not expect the huge actions that are required to reduce this predicted rise will take place.

However, there is some optimism in some responses. Henry Neufeldt, of the UN’s Copenhagen Climate Centre, shares how he is “convinced that we have all the solutions needed for a 1.5C path and that we will implement them in the coming 20 years”. This brings some optimism for the future as the opportunity to reduce and mitigate growing global temperatures is available, however the idea that “our actions might come too late”, which is also stated by Henry, highlights the significant impacts that are happening within poorer countries. If we do not act before we exceed 1.5C, how serious will the impact be globally?

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