On Twitter, Guterres stressed that scaling down this increase is still possible and pivotal, but only if action is taken urgently.

Science has long warned that we must limit temperature rise to 1.5oC, if we go beyond that – even marginally – we could risk a calamity for humanity, Guterres stressed.

Whether global temperature ramps up over 1.5oC, it would increase wildfire-burned areas in average Mediterranean summer by more than 41%. With an over 2oC increase, probability would jump to more than 62% and with more than 3oC, it would rise over 97%.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, past decade was the hottest ever, greenhouse emission gases reached levels ever seen in three million years and global temperature went up by 1.2oC.

In Guterres’ opinion, this is a combination that brings us ‘closer to the threshold of catastrophe’ and that is why it is critical to take concrete steps on climate action.

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