Global Warming: Expert warns of 'no return' by 2050 if ignored - Video

A recent warning from climate scientist, Dr. Carlos Nobre highlights that the planet is nearing a critical threshold, often referred to as the "point of no return," which could be reached by 2050 if current global warming trends continue unchecked.

"Several studies, such as the one we published a few months ago in the journal Nature, show that if global warming continues and we fail to eradicate deforestation and fires, we will have reached the point of no return by 2050," he told AFP

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been vocal about the dire state of the planet, emphasising that we are on a "fast track" to disaster.

A 2022 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores that harmful carbon emissions have reached unprecedented levels, pushing the world closer to the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit agreed upon in the Paris Agreement.

Experts argue that it is "now or never" to implement drastic measures to curb emissions and transition to sustainable energy sources. This includes significant changes in infrastructure, energy production, and consumption patterns.

Andrew Norton, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), stresses the need for rapid and fundamental changes to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

"While the pandemic will lead to a temporary dip in global greenhouse gas emissions, this must not distract from the urgent need for rapid fundamental changes in infrastructure, energy, land use and industrial systems to set us on a path to net zero emissions globally by 2050 at the latest," said Andrew Norton.