Prominent climate scientists in Switzerland believe that the world could no longer achieve the goals to limit the warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius set under the Paris Agreement.
The survey carried out by Swissinfo revealed that the researchers "believe the Earth will warm by around 2.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.”
The rise would prove catastrophic to the population living in the low-lying areas of the world, especially those dependent on oceans for food security.
95 per cent of respondents to the survey do not believe it is realistic that the planet will meet the targets set in the Paris Agreement to restrict the global temperature rise to under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Harald Burgmann, professor of forest ecology at ETH Zurich, while describing the figure as “realistic", said, "We've already passed 1.5 degrees Celsius, and in the current geopolitical situation, there's little hope that the goals set earlier will be pursued."
We are already late on the issue; it's time to reactivate the climate mitigation plan ASAP, or else millions of people will perish in the climate-driven disasters,” Bugmann added.
Also Read : UN set to sign historic cybercrime treaty in Hanoi
Previous year (2024), according to the World Meteorological Organisation, 2024 was "the first year when the average global temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, reaching +1.55 degrees Celsius.
Some countries, including Switzerland, will be warming twice as fast as the global average. According to researchers, "the country could experience an increase of 4-4.5 degrees Celsius locally by the end of this century."
More than 90 per cent of glaciers are projected to disappear, threatening the country’s water resources, agriculture and hydropower, while hotter days in cities such as Zurich and Geneva could reach or exceed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time in Swiss history.
The recently held ocean and environment summit held in the French city of Nice saw the participation of dozens of nations and hundreds of climate activists, yet it ended without commitment from the prominent developed and oil-producing nations.
Follow us
