06/23/2026
The Earth is trapping heat faster than ever before, and scientists warn that the world could breach the critical 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) threshold in just four years.
According to a major new report involving more than 70 climate scientists, human activity pushed global warming to about 2.47 degrees Fahrenheit (1.37 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels in 2025, while greenhouse gas emissions reached an all-time high in 2024. The study, published in Earth System Science Data, found that the planet’s energy imbalance — a measure of how much excess heat Earth is accumulating — has doubled in recent decades and is now at a record level.
The climate system is already showing the effects. Sea levels have risen 9 inches since 1901 and are accelerating, while marine heat waves are becoming dramatically more common. In 2025 alone, the world experienced 65 days of marine heat waves, and the number of such events has more than tripled since the early 1990s.
Perhaps most alarming, the researchers estimate humanity has only 130 billion tons of carbon dioxide left in its remaining carbon budget for keeping warming below 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius). At current emission rates, that budget could be exhausted in about three years.
