Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by about 1.2 °C[1] since the late 19th century. At an increase of about 0.20 °C[2] per decade, the planet could reach dangerous heat levels by 2050.
Advanced climate models, powered by state-of-the-art supercomputing, project that global temperatures could reach a total warming of 2.2 °C to 3.2 °C after 2050, exceeding the 2 °C threshold widely regarded by scientists as dangerous, even if all countries fully comply with their greenhouse-gas reduction commitments under the Conference of the Parties agreements.
In the worst-case scenario, if wealthy nations fail to develop affordable clean alternatives to fossil fuels, developing countries may expand their reliance on coal and petroleum. This would accelerate global warming, potentially raising the warming rate toward 0.30 °C per decade. The resulting 4 °C global increase by 2100 would lead to dramatic heatwaves and hurricanes.