The 1.5°C global mean warming target: A climate change explainer.

This article explains the United Nations' 1.5°C global mean warming target, established at the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit average global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1900 baseline) in order to avoid the most severe climate impacts. The target is based on scientific assessments showing that warming beyond 1.5°C significantly increases risks such as extreme heat exposure, Arctic ice loss, and coral reef destruction. Global mean temperature is calculated by averaging surface air and sea temperatures worldwide, with the trend expected to exceed 1.5°C within 10 to 15 years, though uncertainties exist due to measurement and methodological factors. The article highlights that local warming varies, with higher increases over land and polar regions, and that even small increases in global mean temperature can greatly raise the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.