The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released its 2026 Emissions Gap Report, which found that the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is unlikely to be met due to the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions. The report states that global CO2 emissions have increased by 1.3% per year on average since 2010, with the largest increases coming from China, the United States, and the European Union. The report also found that the use of fossil fuels, particularly coal, has continued to rise, with coal-fired power plants accounting for 37% of global electricity generation in 2020. In contrast, the use of renewable energy sources has increased, with solar and wind power accounting for 36% of global electricity generation in 2020. However, despite this increase, the report concludes that the world is on track to overshoot the 1.5°C target by 0.7°C, with the global temperature expected to reach 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100.