Global Temperature Trends

• The 1.5°C threshold represents a critical tipping point for climate impacts. While temporarily exceeding this level doesn't mean the Paris Agreement has failed, sustained warming above 1.5°C significantly increases risks of irreversible changes including ice sheet collapse, coral reef die-offs, and extreme weather events.
• Temperature increases are not uniform globally. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average, with winter temperatures rising by 2.4°C above the 1991-2020 average. This polar amplification accelerates ice melt, permafrost thaw, and disrupts global weather patterns through changes in the jet stream.
• Current warming is unprecedented in human history. The last time Earth experienced similar temperatures was during the Last Interglacial period about 120,000 years ago, when sea levels were 6-9 meters higher than today. The current rate of warming is roughly 100 times faster than past natural climate variations.
• Without dramatic emissions reductions, global temperatures are projected to reach 2.4-2.6°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 under current policies. This would trigger catastrophic impacts including widespread ecosystem collapse, food system failures, and displacement of billions of people from uninhabitable regions.