Keeping global average temperature below 2°C. Can we reach our goal? Are we on track? 

Limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius has been a goal since 12 December 2015, as enacted in the Paris agreement. It is considered a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because it brings all nations

Limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius has been a goal since 12 December 2015 as agreed in the Paris agreement. It is considered a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because it brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris and became operative on 4 November 2016. Countries aim to achieve this long-term temperature goal by peaking global greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible in order to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century.  We already see effects scientists predicted; Glaciers and ice sheets in polar and mountain regions are melting faster than ever before, rising sea levels, almost two-thirds of the world's cities with populations of more than five million are located in areas vulnerable to sea level rise, and nearly 40% of the world's population lives within 100 kilometers of a coast. Many other cities may be submerged within our lifetimes, displacing millions of people. 15,000 people died specifically in 2022 due to heatwave kill.  As humans, we face numerous challenges, but we are far from alone in feeling the heat. As land and sea change rapidly, the animals that inhabit them are doomed to extinction. vertebrate species are disappearing at a rate that is more than 100 times faster than the natural rate of extinction due to human-caused climate change, pollution, and deforestation.   And here lies the question: can we reach our goal? Are we on track?  It is still within our reach theoretically, the world's totemic aim of keeping average global temperature increases to 1.5°C will deteriorate unless humanity makes a significant course correction.    In the years since the Paris Agreement went into effect, low-carbon solutions and new markets have emerged. Carbon neutrality targets are being established by an increasing number of countries, regions, cities, and businesses. Zero-carbon solutions are becoming more competitive in economic sectors that account for 25% of emissions. This trend is most visible in the power and transportation sectors, where it has created numerous new business opportunities for early adopters.  The most recent climate predictions indicate that global temperature rise will continue, with a chance that one of the years between 2022 and 2026 will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, but a single year of exceeding 1.5 °C does not imply that we have breached the iconic Paris Agreement threshold, but it does indicate that we are getting closer to a situation in which 1.5 °C could be exceeded for an extended period of time.  To combat climate change, countries must implement truly drastic adaptation and mitigation measures. Adaptation entails preparing health systems and societies for the future. For instance, heat-health action plans are essential to climate change adaptation and safeguard communities from heat-related diseases. Mitigation entails being a part of the solution. Climate-resilient, sustainable, and low-carbon health systems and societies are required.  As the world heats up, the risk increases, and if the world does not begin rapidly to reduce emissions, the 1.5C target will be passed sometime between 2026 and 2042. It's time we embrace Change and cooperate to save the planet.