Global Warning: What Surpassing 1.5°C Means for the Planet

2024 was the first year to surpass the 1.5°C global warming limit. Explore the implications of this milestone and what it means for our planet’s future.

When we hear about historic firsts in the news, they are often moments of celebration. However, 2024 marked a somber milestone: not only was it the hottest year on record (so far), but it was also the first calendar year where the average global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

While this does not mean we have crossed into a long-term global temperature average of above and beyond 1.5°C, it does signify that we are edging closer to that threshold. Fossil fuel emissions remain the primary driver of global warming, contributing to the heating of the atmosphere. This landmark moment underscores the urgency for world leaders and key organisations to take decisive climate change action.

Immediate and substantial transformative initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and implement strategies for climate adaptation and resilience cannot be delayed. Continuing to surpass the 1.5°C threshold increases the risk of irreparable damage to natural systems and communities, particularly in vulnerable regions.

This news should serve as a key turning point—a wake-up call for global governments, industrial leaders, companies, brands, and individuals. The path forward is critical. While it’s not too late to prevent further warming, every fraction of a degree matters for the planet’s future health.

This is part of the Climate Change Collective, a dedicated group of bloggers that tackle environmental and climate-related issues. This month it was my turn to provide the lead topic. Enjoy!

What You Need To Know About the 1.5°C Global Warming Limit

In order to slow down and potentially avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, scientists and policymakers from around the world set a global warming limit. This target emerged from the 2015 Paris Agreement, where 195 countries committed to ensuring that the world’s average temperature did not exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 2°C, with a preferred boundary of 1.5°C.

This recommendation has also been backed by years of research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Their comprehensive assessments and special reports highlight how surpassing the 1.5°C threshold would lead to catastrophic environmental and societal impacts, including more intense heatwaves, extreme weather events, and irreversible damage to ecosystems.

Scientists have studied various scenarios to understand the long-term effects of temperature increases, considering factors such as sea-level rise, food security, and human health. By establishing 1.5°C as the upper limit, the goal was to provide a benchmark for international action, encouraging policymakers to pursue and invest in aggressive measures to reduce emissions.

All this is to say that it’s not an arbitrary level plucked out of thin air; it’s a carefully researched threshold based on scientific evidence, representing the point at which the risks of irreversible and catastrophic climate change impacts become significantly higher.

Understanding Key Shortcomings of the Paris Agreement

There is no doubt that the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C aims to promote increased global cooperation, more ambitious climate action, and the mobilisation of financial and technological resources. However, it’s not without significant challenges. Many signatory nations with emerging economies, for example, rely on carbon-intensive industries such as agriculture and fossil fuels for essential economic growth.

Adopting expensive green technologies without sufficient support can strain economic progress, widen inequalities, and make it more burdensome to prioritise climate goals over immediate needs, such as improving social mobility and infrastructure development. This imbalance is further compounded by the fact that higher-income nations, which have historically contributed more to global emissions, often advocate for stringent measures, leaving emerging economies struggling to balance climate commitments with economic priorities.

Additionally, although participating countries are legally required to have plans in place for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change—called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—achieving these plans remains non-binding. NDCs, along with the 1.5°C global warming limit, are aspirational goals rather than legally enforceable commitments.

This flexibility is crucial for ensuring equitable access and encouraging broader participation, particularly for emerging economies that might otherwise fear legal penalties. However, the lack of accountability—especially for higher-income countries with the resources for more ambitious action—could create disincentives for compliance.

Despite transparency mechanisms such as regular reporting and peer review, the results remain uneven and insufficient. The voluntary nature of NDCs raises concerns about the Paris Agreement’s ability to effectively meet the 1.5°C target and drive meaningful progress in addressing global warming.

While I may not have the answers to fix this, research by Nobel laureate William Nordhaus and Professor Lint Barrage, an expert in Energy and Climate Economics at ETH Zurich, reveals that despite ambitious international climate policy goals being set, they often lack a practical framework for implementation. For real success, you cannot have one without the other.

I believe the Paris Agreement is a valuable tool for environmental action, and I am dismayed—though unsurprised—that U.S. President Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw from it in the first week of his second term. He is, after all, a well-known climate change denier who spreads science disinformation and favours drilling and other activities championed by fossil fuel lobbyists.

Even with its shortcomings, I do believe that joining the Paris Agreement is a good idea; the access to key information, data sharing, research, and funding is a way to encourage global climate action efforts. Having goals to combat something that is an existential crisis is crucial, but the Agreement itself lacks real enforcement mechanisms to ensure those goals are met.

While its targets are ambitious, they are ultimately meaningless without concrete accountability measures. To truly address the climate crisis, there must be a significant overhaul in how commitments are enforced, ensuring nations take actionable steps rather than merely setting targets that can be missed without consequence.

Equally important is recognising the need for equity in these efforts. Nations with emerging economies, which are often the most vulnerable to climate impacts yet contribute the least to global emissions, require better financial and technological support to meet their goals. Without this, the global response risks deepening inequalities rather than fostering collective progress.

Climate action must prioritise fairness, ensuring that all countries, regardless of wealth, have the resources and opportunities necessary to transition to a sustainable future.

Understanding What Surpassing 1.5°C Means for Life on Earth

So, even though we are not there yet, what does reaching an average global temperature 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels actually mean?

In simple terms, it refers to the Earth being 1.5°C warmer than it was before large-scale fossil fuel use began—roughly between 1850 and 1900. This timeframe is used as a baseline for measuring global temperature change because reliable temperature records started to become consistently available during that period.

But what does this increase potentially signify for the future of all life on this planet?

Extreme Weather Events:

A 1.5°C temperature rise amplifies extreme weather by intensifying heatwaves, altering rainfall patterns, and fuelling stronger storms. Warmer air holds more moisture, leading to heavier downpours and increased flooding, while drier regions face worsening droughts.

These changes heighten the frequency and severity of weather-related disasters globally, with widespread impacts on infrastructure and livelihoods.

Sea Level Rise:

This temperature rise accelerates ice sheet and glacier melting and causes oceans to expand as they warm, leading to sea level rise. This floods coastal areas, erodes shorelines, submerges habitats, and displaces millions, particularly in low-lying regions, increasing risks to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human lives.

Ocean Acidification:

A long-term 1.5°C rise increases CO₂ absorption by oceans, causing acidification. This lowers pH levels, harming marine life like corals, shellfish, and plankton by weakening their shells and structures. Disrupted ecosystems affect biodiversity, fisheries, and the livelihoods of millions dependent on healthy oceans.

Wildfires:

Global temperatures rising by 1.5°C enhance heat and drought, creating dry conditions that fuel wildfires. These fires destroy forests, homes, and infrastructure, release carbon into the atmosphere, and harm air quality. They also threaten biodiversity, displace communities, and cause economic and environmental damage.

Water Scarcity:

Global warming exacerbates drinking water scarcity by altering precipitation patterns, leading to more intense droughts and reduced freshwater supplies. Warmer temperatures also increase evaporation rates, further depleting water sources. Additionally, rising sea levels can contaminate freshwater reserves with saltwater, making them unsuitable for consumption and agriculture.

Biodiversity Loss:

A temperature rise of this magnitude stresses ecosystems, forcing species to either adapt or face extinction. Habitat changes, extreme weather, and shifting food availability disrupt biodiversity by altering or destroying ecosystems where species thrive.

Species may not be able to adapt or migrate quickly enough to new conditions, leading to population declines or extinction. This disrupts food webs, reduces genetic diversity, and weakens ecosystem stability.

The loss of species diminishes ecosystem resilience, affecting food chains and compromising essential services such as pollination, water filtration, and carbon storage, further harming the planet.

Crop Failures:

A 1.5°C increase alters rainfall patterns and increases heat stress, reducing crop yields. Droughts, floods, and shifting seasons harm food production, leading to shortages, higher prices, and increased hunger. Vulnerable regions, especially in countries with emerging economies, face heightened risks to food security and livelihoods.

Economic Disruption:

Global temperature escalation disrupts economies by damaging infrastructure, agriculture, and industries. Increased costs from climate-related disasters, crop failures, and health issues strain economies. Vulnerable regions suffer the most, leading to job losses, reduced productivity, and growing inequality, ultimately hindering global economic growth and stability.

Human Health Issues:

A 1.5°C rise worsens air quality, increases heat-related illnesses, and spreads diseases like malaria. Extreme weather events, such as floods and heatwaves, stress healthcare systems, while rising temperatures contribute to water and food shortages, leading to malnutrition and increased susceptibility to disease, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Humanitarian Crises:

Global warming at this level intensifies resource shortages, such as water and food, and increases the frequency of extreme weather, leading to displacement and conflict. Vulnerable communities face heightened poverty, migration, and inequality, while overwhelmed governments struggle to provide basic services, exacerbating existing humanitarian crises.

Important Initiatives That Will Help Protect the Planet

Climate action involves multiple layers, from individual, everyday choices to policy changes at the government level. It includes climate and social justice movements, as well as the urgent need to overhaul industrial practices and limit the political influence of fossil fuel lobbyists.

No matter how sustainable the choices we make for ourselves and our households, without environmental reform at political, systemic, and industrial levels, our ability to create meaningful change is severely limited. Individual efforts can only go so far without large-scale action from governments, industries, and global organisations.

There must be widespread shifts to address climate change and ensure a sustainable future for all. The good news is, we can play a part in driving these transformations, too.

Here is a list of environmental strategies on which you can take climate action. Start by learning more about these issues and sharing the knowledge with others. You can also join local community groups that focus on these proposals and support them by voting for these issues when they arise in local or national elections.

Another way to contribute is by writing to your local or government representatives, urging them to support these measures. Additionally, consider donating time, resources, or money to organisations that work to get these initiatives adopted.

• Enforce Stronger Climate Policies: Governments must implement and enforce ambitious climate regulations, such as carbon pricing, emissions targets, and renewable energy incentives. These measures should ensure companies transition to eco-friendly practices.

• Invest in Renewable Energy: Both political administrations and businesses should heavily invest in wind, solar, and other clean energy sources. This will reduce reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy systems.

• Support Green Innovation: Encourage local and national leaders and industries to invest in renewable technologies and innovations, from electric vehicles to carbon capture. This can be achieved by offering grants, tax incentives, and research funding for eco-friendly solutions.

• Protect and Restore Forests: Government leaders, companies, and NGOs must prioritise large-scale reforestation and forest preservation initiatives. These efforts safeguard ecosystems that absorb carbon dioxide and protect biodiversity.

• Promote Sustainable Agriculture: World leaders and organisations should incentivise and support farmers adopting regenerative practices, reducing pesticide use, and limiting deforestation.

• Regulate Carbon Emissions: Policies that set stricter carbon emission standards for industries, transport, and energy sectors should be more widely implemented. This will drive the adoption of low-emission technologies and reduce the overall carbon footprint.

• Hold Polluters Accountable: Major industries, brands and corporations should be held accountable for their environmental impact. They must disclose emissions, adopt sustainable practices, and align their operations with climate targets, including reporting and audits.

• Foster Global Cooperation: Countries must strengthen international collaboration through climate accords like the Paris Agreement. This will ensure shared resources, knowledge, and funding for global action, as well as support developing nations in tackling the impacts of climate change.

How Colonisation Shapes the Climate Crisis We Face Now

In addition to becoming more knowledgeable about and involved with the measures outlined above, we must also deepen our understanding of the connection between colonisation and climate change.

This relationship highlights how historical systems of exploitation and oppression continue to influence the environmental crisis we face today. Recognising these ongoing impacts is essential if we are to address the root causes of climate change effectively.

Colonisation has historically driven environmental degradation by prioritising resource extraction and exploitation over ecological balance. Colonisers often seized lands, deforested vast areas for plantations, and disrupted ecosystems to extract timber, minerals, and other valuable resources. This process displaced Indigenous peoples and systematically marginalised their sustainable practices, which had long maintained environmental harmony.

Today, the legacy of colonial extractivism persists in industries like mining for rare earth minerals essential for modern technologies, industrial agriculture that replaces biodiverse ecosystems with monocultures, and fossil fuel extraction that powers the global energy system. These activities disproportionately occur in the Global South, where governments and corporations often exploit weaker regulatory frameworks and local labour, reaping profits for wealthier nations and corporations in the Global North.

Communities in these regions bear the brunt of environmental destruction, losing access to clean water, arable land, and biodiversity. Climate impacts, such as extreme weather and rising sea levels, exacerbate these injustices. Meanwhile, Indigenous peoples continue to resist, advocating for sustainable land stewardship and challenging extractive industries that disregard their rights, cultures, and knowledge systems.

This extractivist model perpetuates a cycle of environmental harm and socio-economic inequality, making it critical to support movements that challenge these systems and promote equitable, sustainable alternatives.

To learn more about this ongoing, critical issue, you should follow, share, and support the work of organisations such as:

• Mujeres Amazónicas (Amazonian Women): This collective is made up of over 100 Indigenous women from seven nationalities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. They advocate for the protection of nature, territory, women’s rights, health, education, and Indigenous culture, while opposing extractive industries that threaten their lands.

• Amazon Watch: This organisation collaborates with Indigenous and environmental groups in the Amazon Basin to campaign against oil extraction, deforestation, and industrial development. Their aim is to protect the rainforest and promote Indigenous rights by amplifying local resistance to extractive industries.

• TerraJusta: An international organisation that collaborates with communities resisting extractivism, it supports struggles against land and territory exploitation, environmental degradation, and corporate power. The organisation emphasises the importance of local voices in decision-making processes.

• Global Witness: An international NGO that investigates and exposes environmental and human rights abuses driven by extractive industries, it works to hold corporations and governments accountable for exploitative practices. The organisation advocates for policy changes to prevent resource-related conflicts and corruption.

• Idle No More: Originating in Canada, Idle No More is a grassroots movement led by Indigenous peoples, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. The movement opposes extractivist projects that threaten the environment and Indigenous sovereignty, advocating for the protection of water, land, and cultural heritage through peaceful protests and education.

• Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN): This network works to address environmental and climate issues that disproportionately affect Indigenous communities, with a focus on halting extractive projects such as pipelines, mining, and fossil fuel extraction.

There are many other communities, groups, and organisations doing incredible work; they are just an online search away, waiting to be discovered and supported. I hope you feel inspired to explore their efforts and contribute to the positive change they are striving to create.

In Summary

The impacts of a 1.5°C global temperature rise are wide-ranging and severe, threatening ecosystems, economies, and human well-being. To slow and address global warming, bold action at the political, industrial, and organisational levels is essential. Without systemic reform, individual efforts alone will not suffice.

It’s crucial to go beyond the headlines about 2024 surpassing this global warming threshold in order to remain knowledgeable and ready to act. By understanding the deeper implications of this milestone, we can better grasp the urgency of climate action. Staying well-informed empowers individuals, governments, and industries to make the decisions necessary to implement effective solutions and help save the planet.

What is your country doing to tackle global warming? What climate change initiative should be adopted worldwide?

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Further Info:

Disinformation and the Los Angeles Fires – Covering Climate Now

Climate Activist Warns Far-Right Movements Are Derailing Efforts to Address Climate Change – The Daily Climate