Paris (France) (AFP) - Two UN reports warned Monday that global warming exceeding the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold will have “irreversible” consequences for glaciers, sea ice and frozen areas on the Earth’s surface, calling for action “as quickly as possible.”

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 11:33

One report noted that global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, the target set out in the Paris Agreement, “would lead to major and often irreversible repercussions” for the cryosphere and polar oceans, “that is, the regions characterized by the presence of snow, ice and permafrost on the planet.”

The melting of glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost, along with the accelerating rise in sea levels, will have many repercussions, including increased flood risks, economic and environmental losses, worsening water resource shortages, and increased hazards in mountainous areas.

The second report warns of major consequences if global warming exceeds 2.8 degrees Celsius and continues at this level over the next century.

Sea levels could rise by up to five centimeters annually by 2150, compared to about 0.45 centimeters currently.

Melting permafrost may also lead to the emission of amounts of carbon dioxide annually equivalent to what is currently emitted by the United States, which ranks second on the list of most polluting countries in the world.

During the United Nations climate conference in Paris in 2015, countries agreed to keep global temperature rise at a level well below two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial revolution levels, while continuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius, to limit the repercussions of climate change.

But the United Nations announced in September that the world was no longer on a path to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Scientists stress the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from fossil fuels to reduce the period during which global warming exceeds the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, and to return temperatures to below it as quickly as possible.

© 2026 AFP

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.