--- 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: 2026-02-23T19:16:17.398Z 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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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Feb 15, 2018 5:32 PM UTC  Clark Dry Lake, Anza Borrego Desert State Park California Clark Dry Lake, Anza Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaAlan Majchrowicz—Getty Images  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/). 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