Published on: 2026-09-21
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Just a little over ten years ago, the world was heading towards an increase in global temperature of more than 4°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Thanks to the measures taken after the conclusion of the Paris Agreement, this forecast was reduced to 2.3°C – provided that countries fully fulfill their current climate commitments.
The UN plays a central role in these efforts, urging countries to develop more ambitious national plans, accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, and pay greater attention to adaptation measures, climate justice, and the financial needs of developing countries.
However, despite the progress made, the planet continues to warm. The last 11 years have been the hottest on record, and extreme heat, droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires are causing increasing damage to people, the economy, and development.
© Climate Visuals/Alastair A worker delivers bags of ice in London during the hottest summer on record in the UK.
At the same time, the world is still moving towards exceeding the 1.5°C threshold – at least temporarily.
Under these conditions, the next stage in the fight against climate change lies less in making new commitments and more in fulfilling existing ones while simultaneously significantly raising ambitions.
What does exceeding the 1.5°C threshold mean?
The 1.5°C limit means an average increase in global temperature compared to the pre-industrial level sustained over decades. It is not defined by any single unusually hot year.
When this threshold is exceeded, the temperature rises above 1.5°C for a certain period, reaches a peak, and then—if emissions are significantly reduced—begins to decrease. However, such a decrease is not guaranteed—it will depend on the decisions governments make now and in the coming years.
Even if the current national climate plans and additional commitments to achieve net-zero emissions are fully implemented, warming could still peak at around 1.8°C, according to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme.
This difference may seem small, but it matters. The higher the temperature rises and the longer it stays at such a level, the more serious the risks. “Every fraction of a degree will cost lives, destroy livelihoods, exacerbate inequality, and bring ecosystems closer to irreversible damage,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
© Climate Visuals/A. Stayvan Solar panels on the roof of a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Why is it important to act quickly?
Action must be taken faster because the gap between current plans and what science requires remains very large.
Countries responsible for nearly 90 percent of global emissions have presented updated national climate plans known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). However, even with full implementation of these plans, emissions are expected to be reduced by only about 10 percent by 2035.
To maintain the possibility of achieving the 1.5°C goal over the same period, emissions need to be reduced by approximately 60 percent. To close this gap, emissions must be reduced faster, especially methane and other short-lived climate pollutants, while simultaneously stopping deforestation and accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
© Adobe Stock/Aquatarkus In Odessa, Ukraine, houses built on unstable clay soil are sinking into the water.
Countries also need infrastructure for such a transition, including modern power grids, more energy storage capacity, and wider use of clean electricity in transport, heating, and industry.
Faster transition rates can also strengthen energy security. Three out of four people live in countries that import more fossil fuels than they export, making them vulnerable when conflicts or other disruptions affect global supplies and prices. Renewable energy sources can reduce this dependence.
As Guterresh noted, “You cannot impose an embargo on sunlight, and prices for wind will not soar.”
Why is funding important?
Not all countries have equal resources to transition to clean energy. Developing nations often face much higher borrowing costs for renewable energy projects, making it difficult to invest in clean energy, power grids, and energy storage systems even where there is great potential for their development.
The UN has repeatedly called for making financing more accessible, reforming multilateral development banks, and increasing the volume of private investment in developing countries.
Funding also determines who will benefit from the transition. A just transition must help workers and communities adapt to economic changes, create jobs, and provide developing countries with a more significant role in the growing clean energy economy. Minerals necessary for the production of batteries and other technologies are especially important here: producing countries should be able to derive more economic benefit from these resources, rather than just exporting raw materials.
© UNFCCC/Chiara Worth The first day of the UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil.
Why is adaptation important?
Emission reductions are necessary to limit future warming; however, they cannot eliminate the climate change impacts that people are already facing today.
Floods and landslides in Nepal and China have once again shown how vulnerable communities and infrastructure are to extreme weather events. The El Niño climate phenomenon, which is expected to persist until early 2027, may further exacerbate these risks in several regions, including the Horn of Africa and some areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.
This is exactly why adaptation is so important. In practice, it means helping people and countries cope with the consequences of climate change that can no longer be avoided. Adaptation measures include strengthening roads, houses, and public infrastructure facilities, increasing the resilience of agriculture and ecosystems, improving water resource management, as well as expanding early warning systems so that communities have more time to prepare for floods, droughts, storms, and periods of extreme heat.
Moreover, adaptation requires greater funding, especially for countries and communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and already facing associated losses and damages.
Why is cooperation necessary?
No country can tackle climate change solely by its own efforts. Governments determine their climate policies independently, but many systems necessary for their implementation go beyond national borders – from energy markets and finance to technologies and supply chains. Greenhouse gas emissions also do not stop at national borders.
Cooperation can help countries accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, enhance resilience, and facilitate access to financing.
This does not mean, however, that everyone must move at the same pace. Some countries have greater resources and capabilities, while others face much more serious financial or technological obstacles.
The task is to help a greater number of countries overcome these barriers and accelerate actions, despite the fact that the current geopolitical tensions complicate international cooperation.
On the eve of the General Assembly
These questions will become the central topics of the Climate Summit, which will be held on September 23 at the UN headquarters. Its main goals are to accelerate the transition, mobilize financing, and protect people.
The summit will be attended by representatives of governments, development banks, businesses, the financial sector, and civil society. The main focus will be on what hinders the fulfillment of already made climate commitments and how to overcome these obstacles.
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