A decade after the Paris Agreement, Europe faces a climate reckoning

Ten years ago the Paris Agreement united the world behind a single goal: to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, and ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius. Now, Europe is confronting the reality that this goal is still not on track.

In 2015, nearly every country pledged to act before it was too late. But the numbers in 2025 tell a different story. Temperatures continue to rise, and scientists warn the world is heading towards nearly 3 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century.

"We see that the temperature is continuing to rise and extreme events continue to happen. So as it is, it is indeed very crucial," says Jean-Louis Dufresnes, Director of Climate Research at CNRS in Paris.

"We are on the road to about 3 degrees Celsius. Really, if we don't go up to the higher part of 2 degrees, the decrease of emissions will be more effective. And so it has to start now, because every kind of decision takes years to be implemented," Dufresnes says.

Camile Etienne is a French climate activist from the group, Women Wave Project. She and her team sailed across the Atlantic and are now at the COP30 Summit in Brazil.

According to Etiene: "We are living in a moment of ecological backlash, especially in the U.S. But it's happening everywhere. Across the globe, we have people that do not believe in climate change that are now in power. We see that this decision has been less and less about climate in the recent months, even in France."

With science informing the world that we are late on delivering what was promised in Paris 10 years ago, as it stands it's impossible to respect the Paris Agreement.

"The next objective is 1.6 degrees Celsius and then 1.7 degrees Celsius, but we really need to keep it below that while we can, because it's literally life that will be threatened," Etienne told CGTN.

As the COP30 begins, the message from both scientists and activists is clear. The window for meaningful action is closing fast.

"It's really important to agree on this. Climate change is a scientific fact, and of course the consequences will be larger if the climate change will be larger," says Dufresnes.

And as world leaders gather in Brazil, the test now is whether the promises made in Paris can finally turn into action at the COP30.