Recent news reports once again bring a question to the forefront that we can no longer put off: what does it really mean to cross the 1.5°C global warming threshold?
The goal set by the Paris Agreement does not represent a "safety limit" beyond which climate change suddenly becomes irreversible. It is, however, a crucial threshold: exceeding it means a progressive increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events, impacts on ecosystems, and risks to societies and economies. And today, according to UNEP, surpassing 1.5°C in the coming years is highly likely; even under the most favorable scenario, warming could reach approximately 1.8°C before beginning to decline
Added to this are increasingly clear signs of growing climate instability: the current El Niño event is intensifying and could reach exceptional levels in the coming months. Yet these signs must not lead to resignation; on the contrary, they make it all the more important to accelerate action, reduce emissions, and simultaneously prepare to manage the impacts we can no longer avoid.
For businesses, this means translating climate goals into concrete pathways for decarbonization, investment, and innovation.
It is against this backdrop that the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) new Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 takes on particular significance: a new framework designed to guide companies not only in setting ambitious targets but, above all, in implementing them. For even when the path becomes challenging, having scientifically robust goals—and turning them into action—remains one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.
To this end, the UN Global Compact Network Italy has organized a webinar—open to all interested companies and featuring representatives from the SBTi—to present the new standard and explore how to accelerate decarbonization and integrate climate action into business strategies. The online session will take place on Wednesday, September [date], from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.