The remaining carbon budget available to humans is running out, according to new research.
The 1.5C global warming limit – which is the top amount of emissions that can be put into the atmosphere above pre-industrial levels – is “nearly exhausted” according to the University of Exeter's Global Systems Institute study.
And this year, fossil fuel carbon emissions are expected to hit record highs, increasing by 1.1 per cent globally. At the current rate, humans will have used up the 1.5C limit within four years – spelling danger for future generations dealing with the repercussions of climate change.
Professor Pierre Friedlingstein, who led the study said: "With carbon dioxide emissions still increasing, keeping global warming below 1.5C is no longer plausible.
He explained: "The remaining carbon budget for 1.5C, 170 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, will be gone before 2030 at current emission rates.”
It comes after a scorching summer as Londoners endured a gruelling four heatwaves, making 2025 the hottest summer on record. The stifling temperatures made for a busy season for the London Fire Brigade, who put out around 83 wildfires across the capital.
It marked a 32 per cent increase on 2024, despite being dwarfed by the summer of 2022, where 40C temperatures led to a whopping 207 wildfires.
The worst wildfire this year was recorded in Dagenham in July, which saw 20 fire engines and 125 firefighters called to the scene.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, expressed his gratitude to the service over the summer, saying: “Our brave firefighters have been working incredibly hard this summer, tackling intense and challenging wildfires across London.
“The huge increase in wildfires this summer has shown how vital it is that we take collective action to tackle this growing threat to the capital.”
As temperatures continue to climb, Londoners will be forced to think about coping with an increasingly uncertain future under climate change.
Despite many countries making the switch to clean energy, global demand still relies on oil, coal and gas fossil fuels.
In an attempt to tackle the rising threat, world leaders are meeting in Brazil for the latest round of UN-led climate talks, Cop30. This comes as a number of nation states, including the US, attempt to wind back their commitment to climate action, despite the number of extreme storms, droughts and heatwaves continuing to climb.
As Professor Corinne Le Quere, from the University of East Anglia, explains: "Efforts to tackle climate change are visible, with 35 countries succeeding in reducing their emissions while growing their economies, twice as much as a decade ago, and important progress in reducing reliance on fossil fuels elsewhere."
But she added: "Progress is still much too fragile to translate into the sustained decreases in global emissions needed to tackle climate change."
The good news, however, is that deforestation levels are down from last year, meaning that overall carbon dioxide emissions for this year have slightly improved. But levels of deforestation remain at a record high.
Glen Peters, senior researcher at the Cicero Centre for International Climate Research, added: "It is clear countries need to lift their game."
