"The greatest challenge humanity has ever faced," says Carlos Nobre about the increase in global temperature.

247 - In an interview with the program Boa Noite 247, scientist Carlos Nobre addressed the alarming situation of climate change and the urgent challenges to prevent the global temperature from exceeding 1,5ºC, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement. The researcher highlighted that, in 2024, the average global temperature hit a record 1,55ºC above pre-industrial levels, an alarming mark for the future of the planet.

"There is no doubt that this is a very bad sign," Nobre stated, commenting on the constant increase in temperatures in recent months. He recalled that the initial goal of science was to keep the rise in global temperature below 1,5ºC by 2050, which now seems an increasingly difficult task. According to the scientist, the continued rise in temperatures could result in an even more disastrous scenario if emissions reduction targets are not met effectively and quickly.

Nobre warned about the risk of not meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. “If the temperature continues to rise and science, in a few years, says 'we've already reached 1,5ºC', then we will have to accelerate the reduction of emissions drastically. Because, if we continue with the goals of the Paris Agreement, achieving net-zero emissions only in 2050, we will reach 2,5ºC or more in 2050. That would be catastrophic for the global climate,” he explained.

In a scenario of inaction, the scientist highlighted that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also a financial and political one. During COP 29, developing countries requested $1,3 trillion to mitigate emissions by 2035 and another $500 billion per year to improve the adaptation of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate disasters. However, developed countries did not accept these demands, limiting their contributions to only $300 billion.

The situation was further complicated by the recent withdrawal of the United States from the climate agreement, which increased the responsibility of wealthy nations in terms of financing. Nobre made a crucial point: “The United States has historically emitted 20% of all greenhouse gases in recent decades. This makes global action even more difficult.”

With a challenging scenario ahead, the scientist stressed the urgency of finding solutions that address both mitigating emissions and adapting to the already inevitable impacts of climate change. The future of the planet depends on swift and coordinated action among nations, a challenge that, according to Carlos Nobre, is unprecedented in human history. Watch: