Earth could cross a key climate threshold in two years. Here’s why it matters.

The Washington Post · last updated May 29, 2025 – 3:38 AM

Seven years ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that the world wouldn’t warm 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels until 2040.

Then two years ago, the group predicted the world would pass that threshold between 2030 and 2035.

Now, new data from the World Meteorological Organization released Wednesday indicates that the Earth will cross this point in just two years.

here today, more tomorrow

We’ve launched briefing.center with a focus on the press and media.

And we’ve added Citizen Cartwright, a daily quick-read news summary by veteran Washington journalist Linda Cartwright. We’ve also created a new voting rights knowledge center for Citizen Cartwright subscribers. (You can sign up for a dedicated morning email at citizencartwright.com.)

You can sign up here for full access to press and media and Citizen Cartwright on briefing.center.

You can use briefing.center as the center of your information management, or just one of your tools. We’re happy to discuss your information needs.