--- title: Scientists Issued a Grim New Warning on Climate Change description: New research shows that countries around the world are falling short of greenhouse gas goals in the Paris climate deal. canonical: https://time.com/5156775/climate-change-paris-agreement-research/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-15T17:32:08.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:58:37.758Z article:section: Science og:title: Scientists Issued a Grim New Warning on Climate Change og:description: A new study on the consequences of not meeting the Paris climate deal targets. og:url: https://time.com/5156775/climate-change-paris-agreement-research/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd34d56c6eab7ed8/6988fa3fdb29877e4d25e990/climate-change-military-drought.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5120 og:image:height: 2880 og:image:alt: climate change military drought og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Scientists Issued a Grim New Warning on Climate Change twitter:description: A new study on the consequences of not meeting the Paris climate deal targets. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd34d56c6eab7ed8/6988fa3fdb29877e4d25e990/climate-change-military-drought.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Scientists Just Issued a Grim New Warning on Climate Change: 'We Are Not Prepared' > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=49ccef76-3122-45dc-bd74-31f12056bc0d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/mia6Tcb8.m3u8) (2:11)  _Published 2017-09-26. The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 15, 2018 5:32 PM UTC The Legal Reasons Why President Trump Won't Take A Stand On Climate Change  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 15, 2018 5:32 PM UTC New research shows that countries around the world are falling short of greenhouse gas goals in the Paris climate deal, and the consequences will likely be unprecedented extreme weather. Published in the [journal _Science_ _Advances_](http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/2/eaao3354) this week, the study found that the likelihood of extreme heat, dryness and precipitation will increase across as much of 90% of North America, Europe and East Asia if countries do not accelerate their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We are not prepared for today’s climate, let alone for another degree of global warming,” says study author Noah Diffenbaugh, a Stanford University professor of earth system science. The 2015 Paris Agreement, which President Donald Trump has [promised](http://time.com/4802845/how-president-trump-decided-to-exit-the-paris-agreement/) to exit when the U.S. is eligible to do so, aims to keep temperature rise below 3.6°Fahrenheit by 2100 with an ideal target of 2.7° Fahrenheit. Though the differences seem minor, the study shows the difference between those targets would lead to dramatic increases in the likelihood of record warm or wet days, according to the study. Under the agreement, countries from across the globe offered their own individually determined pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but those collective commitments still allow temperatures to rise 5.8° Fahrenheit, according to data from the United Nations Environment Program. Some countries do not seem eager to meet their commitments at all. Scientists say the clock is ticking if countries aim to actually reduce emissions in a way that’s consistent with the [Paris Agreement’s targets](http://time.com/4947689/macron-unga-climate-deal/). In some cases, greenhouse gases emitted today will stay in the atmosphere decades. ## Transcript [00:00] As a candidate Donald Trump had no problem giving his [00:03] opinion about climate change. So Obama's talking about all [00:06] of this with the global warming, and a lot of it's a hoax, it's a [00:10] hoax, I mean it's a money making industry okay .>> But as [00:13] president he won't say what he things and neither will his [00:15] administration. The president himself during the campaign [00:19] called climate change a hoax. Have you had that [00:21] conversation with him? I have not had that conversation [00:23] with him. He no longer believes what he tweeted during [00:27] the course of the campaign in years earlier, that it's a [00:29] hoax? Look, you're gonna have to ask him. I'll ask it one [00:33] more time. Does he believe global warming's a hoax? [00:35] Does he believe- You should ask him that. When asked [00:37] their own opinions, other members of the Trump [00:38] administration generally agree the climate is changing and [00:41] humans may play a role. Climate is changing, it always [00:44] has. Man at this particular point in time is having an effect [00:47] on it, how much effect is what's at debate here. So why is [00:51] Trump himself so cagey? Part of it is political, polls show [00:55] the majority of Americans believe global warming is real [00:58] and is caused by human activities. Part of it personal, [01:01] Trump does not like to admit he was wrong about an issue [01:04] in the past As can be seen from his brief and begrudging [01:07] admission this his crusade over President Obama's birth [01:09] certificate was mistaken. President Barack Obama [01:14] was born in the United States, period. But there's [01:19] a legal reason too. The Environmental Protection Agency [01:22] has found that the greenhouse gases, which cause climate [01:24] change Are a form of pollution that endanger human health [01:27] and wellbeing. And thanks to a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, [01:31] that means the EPA must act on those findings. If the [01:33] Trump Administration were to say climate change isn't real [01:36] it would be open to lawsuits from environmentalists for not [01:39] acting on its own EPA findings. EPA Administrator Scott [01:43] Pruitt is careful to say that it's real in some form. I indicated [01:48] That in fact global warming is occurring. That human [01:51] activity contributes to it in some manner. That doesn't mean [01:54] the EPA has to keep the Obama administration's plans in [01:57] place. In fact members of the Trump adminstration have [02:00] been steadily rolling back regulations designed to fight [02:03] climate change. They just can't say they're doing that. [02:05] Because climate change isn't real. 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