<figure> <img alt="A woman stretches her leg into the spray from a cooling misting station" src="https://platform.vox.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/gettyimages-2283445326.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> Even as we strive to limit climate change, we need to brace for the warming we can no longer prevent. | Neil Milton/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>This story appeared in Today, Explained, a daily newsletter that helps you understand the most compelling news and stories of the day. <a href="https://www.vox.com/today-explained-newsletter" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Subscribe here</a></em>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For more than a decade, 1.5 degrees Celsius has been a key target in climate policy discussions. Researchers believed that maintaining warming at this level could mitigate some of the severe effects of climate change.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, a recent assessment from the United Nations indicates that the world is likely to exceed the 1.5-degree threshold within the next few years without significant changes. Current policies are projected to lead to a temperature increase of 2.6 degrees Celsius by the year 2100.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This report formalizes warnings that have been expressed by researchers and policymakers for years. In November, UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that a "temporary overshoot" of 1.5 degrees was "inevitable." </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The term "temporary" is significant, as the assessment emphasizes that the actions taken now to reduce emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere will influence the extent and duration of this overshoot.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Further Insights</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report also highlights the necessity for climate adaptation strategies, recognizing that even as efforts are made to limit climate change, preparations must be made for the warming that is unavoidable.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Adaptation strategies have not always been favored by advocates or philanthropists. Al Gore, in his 1992 book Earth in the Balance, described adaptation as a form of laziness. However, many, including Gore and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, have shifted their views to include adaptation as a critical component of climate action.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Gates has argued that climate policy should prioritize improvements in human welfare alongside reductions in emissions. Several countries and U.S. states have already implemented adaptation measures. For example, after a heat wave in 2003 resulted in approximately 15,000 deaths in France, the country established a national heat plan that has since reduced fatalities during subsequent heat events.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Other adaptation measures may involve significant disruptions, such as Fiji's relocation of coastal villages due to rising sea levels. Regardless of the adaptations made, life in a warming world is expected to become increasingly challenging and costly.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The concept of climate adaptation is evolving, as it is clear that there are no simple solutions to the challenges posed by climate change.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Information</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong> Beware the “loneliness economy.”</strong> A growing industry of paid apps and clubs claims to help individuals make friends, but many of these services offer little more than the idea of community.</p>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trivia</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>Did you know</strong>… Iran is the only country with a legal market for selling kidneys? This concept could potentially address organ shortages, though it raises ethical concerns in many cultures.</li> <li><strong>Today’s trivia:</strong> What iconic web portal uses a butterfly logo? (Find the answer in tomorrow’s edition.)</li> <li><strong>Yesterday’s trivia:</strong> The flower believed by the Aztecs to attract the souls of the dead is the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/10/30/1050726374/why-marigolds-or-cempasuchil-are-the-iconic-flower-of-dia-de-los-muertos">marigold</a>.</li> </ul>