Skip to content 
Exceeding key global climate targets is now “imminent and unavoidable”, UN scientists have warned.
It coincides with a new report by MPs today, which said Britain urgently needs new equipment to deal with the growing threat of bushfires, driven by global warnings.
The world will soon blow through the target to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the UN Environment Program said, at least 1.7C even in a best-case scenario.
This temperature threshold was a key part of the landmark 2015 UN Paris Agreement.
It was developed to prevent increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, wildfires and floods.
Outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said breaking the target does not mean further effort is futile.
“Overshoot is not surrender,” he said.
“We can still keep it as small and as short as possible – and bring temperatures back below 1.5C by the end of the century.”
But reversing the trend would result in far greater emissions reductions than predicted. UNEP said emissions must fall by 45% by 2035, relative to 2025 levels, but are currently on track for only 11-15%.
Leaders are expected to discuss the issue at the UN COP31 climate summit in Turkey next month.
Britain ‘needs firefighting aircraft by January’
Meanwhile, a group of MPs today warned that Britain is “woefully unprepared” for the threat of bushfires, after almost record burned houses burned in national parks this summer.
The Environment, Food and Agriculture Committee (EFRA) highlighted critical gaps in Britain’s capabilities, including a total lack of dedicated firefighting aircraft and insufficient water supplies, with farmers and volunteers often having to pick up the pieces.
Fires should be seen as “part of our new reality”, MPs said, as they called for a new national bushfire strategy, along with an Australian public awareness campaign.
While most UK fires are started by human activity, increasingly hot and dry summers fueled by climate change are increasing the risk.
They warned that fire-fighting aircraft should be introduced as soon as January 2027. And said that temporary bans on certain barbecues are sometimes needed, as was temporarily introduced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham this summer.
Burnt land on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk. Photo: National Trust
Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem) told Sky News: “This year’s record-breaking summer of bushfires has been the most devastating our country has ever seen, and Britain has been shown to be woefully unprepared.
“In too many places, our fire and rescue services did not have the resources they needed, or even the water supply to spread the fire.”
Affected communities told the committee of the “cumulative, psychological toll” of being constantly on alert, and of people picking up ash and black dust days after a fire.
A government spokesman said improving bushfire preparedness was a priority, and it had already launched a new pilot scheme of specialist firefighters.
This week convened a summit of ministers, firefighters and land managers to “understand how we can strengthen the response to this increasing risk”.
