Overview

• Scientists estimate only 130 billion tons of CO₂ remain before the 1.5°C threshold is breached.
• At current emissions of roughly 42–43 billion tons per year, that budget will be exhausted in about three years.
• The global average temperature in 2024 reached 1.52°C above preindustrial levels for the first time.
• Atmospheric CO₂ concentrations hit 423–429 ppm—a peak not seen in two million years—and sea levels rose 26 mm between 2019 and 2024, more than twice the 20th-century rate.
• Experts warn that the 1.5°C target remains achievable in theory only if global emissions are slashed rapidly in the coming years.