Holding long-term global warming to two degrees Celsius – the fallback target of the Paris climate accord – is now "impossible," according to a new analysis.

Holding long-term global warming to two degrees Celsius – the fallback target of the Paris climate accord – is now "impossible," according to a stark though hotly debated new analysis published by leading scientists.

The world’s nations agreed during the landmark Paris climate accord of 2015 to try to hold end-of-century warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. Scientists identified the threshold as critical to preventing the breakdown of major ocean circulation systems, the abrupt thawing of boreal permafrost, and the collapse of tropical coral reefs.

A stark new analysis concludes that Earth's climate is more sensitive to rising greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought.