After COP30: Why the view must now move beyond 1.5°C

In its article “Nachlese COP 30: Der Blick geht jetzt jenseits der 1,5°C” (“Review COP30: The view now goes beyond 1.5°C”), Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung concludes that the climate summit in Belém fell short of expectations for a clear and unified commitment to phase out fossil fuels. While many countries had pushed for stronger language, the negotiations ultimately produced no binding roadmap, a result the article describes as insufficient in light of the worsening climate crisis.

The article notes that the world is now confronted with the uncomfortable question of how to proceed if the 1.5°C limit can no longer realistically be met. It emphasizes that delaying decisive action risks locking societies into far higher levels of warming than intended.

Schellnhuber, cited as one of the key scientific voices, underscores the seriousness of the moment with a stark reminder of what is at stake. 

“We don’t have another Planet. The entire civilizational project on Earth is now at risk of failure, whether through hatred or greed, or most likely a combination of both,” he notes.

His remarks reinforce the article’s central message: that the world must now pair immediate emissions reductions with a clear-eyed understanding of what exceeding 1.5°C would mean for societies, ecosystems, and future generations.

Read the full article (in German).