AnewZ Morning Brief - 4th July, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 4th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
The Earth is projected to warm by 2.7°C by the end of the century, significantly overshooting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal – but scientists say worst-case climate scenarios may still be avoided if current momentum continues.
Nearly a decade after nations committed under the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to “well below 2°C,” cutting emissions enough to meet the 1.5°C target now appears unlikely. Yet, global action has steered the world away from the most catastrophic climate outcomes.
Thanks to the rapid deployment of renewables, energy efficiency measures, and climate policies, the Earth is now tracking toward 2.7°C of warming by 2100. While still a dangerous level, it represents an improvement over past projections driven by unchecked coal and oil use.
“We’re not where we need to be, but we’ve made enough progress to avoid the very worst,” said researchers behind the One Earth Climate Model, which sets a stricter emissions pathway than current global scenarios.
Where We Stand Now
Since industrialisation, greenhouse gas emissions – mainly carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, oil, and gas – have steadily climbed. In 2023, 41% of energy-related CO₂ emissions came from coal, with oil and natural gas accounting for another 53%.
The world felt the impact in 2024, which the World Meteorological Organization confirmed as the hottest year on record, briefly breaching the 1.5°C warming threshold and triggering heatwaves, floods, and cyclones globally.
Climate Pathways and Projections
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlines four main emissions pathways (RCPs), only one of which – RCP 2.6 – is compatible with Paris goals. Current trajectories place Earth between RCP 2.6 and RCP 4.5, landing us at 2.7°C warming by century’s end.
This level would present “unprecedented peril” for ecosystems and societies, but experts say it's a more hopeful outlook than previous high-emissions scenarios like RCP 8.5.
Progress by Region
European Union emissions fell by 8.3% in 2023, now 37% below 1990 levels, while GDP rose.
Australia recorded a 0.6% drop last year, down 28.2% from 2005 levels.
United States emissions are 20% below 2005 levels and trending downward.
China, the largest global emitter, saw emissions fall for the first time, thanks to a boom in renewables.
Can We Still Make a Difference?
Despite challenges, many scientists believe 1.5°C may be technically possible, though unlikely. To meet that threshold, the world must:
Global emissions must peak no later than 2025, and 2024 could mark that turning point.
Already, renewables make up over 90% of new power capacity, and electric vehicles and heat pumps are becoming cost-competitive.
“It’s not too late,” experts say. “Every tenth of a degree matters. The faster we act, the fewer lives lost, homes destroyed, and ecosystems lost.”
Even if the 1.5°C goal slips out of reach, the pathway to a safer climate future is still open — if global action accelerates.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
The European Commission has put forward a proposal allowing carbon credits purchased from developing countries to be counted towards the European Union’s 2040 climate target for the first time. The move, announced on Wednesday, has drawn criticism from campaigners and some scientists.
The European Commission has proposed an amendment to the EU Climate Law aimed at reducing net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels.
Global temperatures in 2024 exceeded the crucial 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels for the first time, marking a serious warning for the world’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement, scientists said.
Wildfires and a severe heatwave sweeping across Europe have claimed the lives of two people in Spain and another two in France, while also causing the shutdown of a nuclear reactor in Switzerland.
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have established a joint venture to implement the Green Energy Corridor: Azerbaijan–Central Asia project aimed at building infrastructure for clean energy transmission and strengthening a regional energy cooperation.
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