Graph of the Day: Global warming – how hot could it get?

Published by

The latest world energy outlook from the IEA, Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map, not only maps out what the energy sector needs to do – quickly and effectively and at no net economic cost – to help keep the 2°C global warming target alive, it also offers some insight into what could happen if the energy sector doesn’t take this advice and leave thermal coal reserves in the ground.

Below are four graphs projecting the annual maximum temperatures in four major capital cities around the world under different global warming trends. Under a scenario where the planet warms by 4.6°C, average annual highs ranging from 37.9°C (Moscow) to 51.6°C (Moscow) are predicted. Even under a 1.5°C scenario, annual maximum temperatures are still predicted to rise by between 1-2°C.

Sophie Vorrath

Sophie is editor of Renew Economy and editor of its sister site, One Step Off The Grid . She is the co-host of the Solar Insiders Podcast. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

State owned utility’s newly opened grid battery has been “re-rated” to be the biggest in Australia

State owned Synergy has formally opened its third big battery, which turns out to the…

8 February 2026

Spanish giant completes Sydney battery ahead of schedule, lands contract for a bigger one

Spanish giant completes one big battery project ahead of schedule as it lands a contract…

8 February 2026

Regulators are asking hungry data centres to pay more for grid power, so households can pay less

Some countries now require data centres to pay more to access grid power, but Australian…

8 February 2026

Pumped hydro is vital to the future grid. So why does gas exploration get all the tax benefits?

When gas companies drill a dry hole, the tax system shares the loss; when pumped…

8 February 2026

Grid Connections 2026: Who’s going where and doing what in Australia’s green energy transition

Origin names Greg Jarvis' successor, and new bosses at ClearVue, BlackRock, Octopus and Endeavour. Plus:…

8 February 2026

Home battery numbers shrink for the first time since rebate launch, as installers take a beat

Even the booming home battery market could not escape the January doldrums, with the summer…

6 February 2026