Overview

• Germany’s meteorological and physical societies (DMG and DPG) issued a public call warning that a 3°C rise by mid‑century could not be ruled out and urged preparedness for faster changes.
• The warning cites 2023–2024 temperature records and unusually rapid increases in ocean heat and the planet’s energy imbalance relative to many model projections.
• Recent estimates place the warming rate over the past 10–20 years near 0.25–0.3°C per decade, above the long‑used 0.2°C benchmark.
• Critics including Karsten Haustein and Björn Stevens argue the record is too short to confirm a sustained acceleration and note recent highs may reflect natural variability such as El Niño.
• Several researchers say reaching 3°C by 2050 would require a doubling or tripling of the current rate and multiple worst‑case factors, which Helge Gößling describes as very unlikely.