Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Warning on warming: On the UNEP report, Limiting Overshoot

Warning on warming: On the UNEP report, Limiting Overshoot

India must shed its victim (पीड़ित) mindset (मानसिकता, सोच) while acting on (कार्रवाई करना) climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन)

The United Nations Environment Programme’s (संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम) report, Limiting Overshoot (an official report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that highlights the significant risks of exceeding the 1.5°C global warming limit and the difficulty of reversing the associated climate impacts), is a reminder that breaching (to break or fail to observe; violate, contravene, infringe, overstep; exceed) the 1.5°C global warming (वैश्विक तापन) limit would bring irreversible (अपरिवर्तनीय) losses that adaptation (अनुकूलन) cannot undo (reverse, cancel, annul, nullify). Were all countries to deliver on (to do what one has promised or expected to do; fulfill, achieve, accomplish, realize) their climate pledges (प्रतिज्ञा, प्रतिबद्धता) today, the globe is still poised (ready or prepared to do something; prepared, ready, primed, positioned) to heat 1.8°C and on current policies, 2.6°C. Given (को ध्यान में रखते हुए, को देखते हुए) that the limit has already been breached — and, with the ongoing (जारी, लगातार चल रहा) heating in the central equatorial (भूमध्यरेखीय) Pacific expected (उम्मीद करना, अपेक्षा करना) to burgeon (तेजी से बढ़ना) into one of the strongest El Niños (a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on global weather patterns including reducing monsoon rainfall in India) in recent history, likely (संभवतः) again in 2027 — the report is an acceptance (acknowledgment, recognition, admission, concession) of the scientific reality (an undeniable state or fact backed by empirical research and consensus; empirical fact, objective reality, scientific truth) that we are in a 1.5°C world, while resisting the conclusion (deduction, inference, judgment, verdict) that nothing more (literally meaning no other action or thing; nothing else, absolutely nothing, nil, zero) can be done. The authors describe an “overshoot, peak and decline (a specific climate trajectory where global temperatures temporarily exceed a target (overshoot), reach a maximum level (peak), and are eventually brought back down (decline))” pathway under which (subject to the authority, rule, or condition of; whereby, by which, according to which, in accordance with which) average global (the average temperature of the Earth’s surface over the entire globe; the actual average global temperature in 2025 was estimated at 15.08°C, while the global average surface temperature was 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average) temperatures rise above (to increase to a higher level than a specific mark or limit; exceed, surpass, transcend, top) 1.5°C but countries collectively (as a group or as a whole; together, unitedly, jointly, collaboratively) hold (to keep something at a particular level or state; maintain, keep, sustain, preserve) the peak as low as possible (minimally, at the lowest point, minimally achievable, bottommost) and then bring them back below the limit by the end of the century (occurring before the transition to the next 100-year period; by 2100). Neutralising (to make something ineffective or harmless by applying an opposite force or effect; counteract, offset, negate, counterbalance) the heating effect (warming impact, thermal effect, greenhouse effect, temperature elevation) of even a tenth of a degree, the report argues, is far (significantly, considerably, notably, substantially) harder than preventing that rise in the first place (initially, originally, to begin with, at the outset). This in itself (inherently, intrinsically, by its very nature, fundamentally) is nothing new (familiar, unoriginal, unsurprising, expected). What is new is the emphasis (special importance, prominence; stress, significance, weight, priority) on greenhouse gases (heat-trapping gas; a gas (such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.) in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation, causing the greenhouse effect and warming of Earth’s temperature) beyond carbon dioxide (a colourless, odourless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds, heavily contributing to climate change; CO2, greenhouse gas). Action on methane (a colourless, odourless flammable gas that is a potent greenhouse gas; CH4, natural gas, biogas), responsible for about 0.5°C of current warming, is considered the most effective (successful, productive, efficacious, fruitful) way to slow warming in the near-term (in the short run, shortly, soon, in the immediate future). Over 155 countries — India is not among (amidst, in the middle of, included in, part of) them — have joined the Global Methane Pledge (a voluntary international initiative launched by the United States and the European Union at COP26 in 2021, under which participating countries commit to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030) to cut anthropogenic (human-caused, human-induced, man-made, artificial) methane at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.

That absence (lack, non-existence, unavailability, deficiency) reflects (indicate, show, display, demonstrate) the familiar tension (strain, friction, conflict, discord) between reports of this nature (the basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something; kind, type, sort, category), which emphasise (stress, highlight, underline, underscore) mitigation (reduction, alleviation, diminution, lessening), and major developing economies such as (for example; for instance, like, namely, specifically) India. They stress (emphasize, underline, highlight, underscore) that they are already en route (during the course of a journey or process; on the way, in transit, on the move, moving towards) to moving away from fossil fuels (hydrocarbon-based energy sources formed deep within the Earth’s crust over millions of years from the decomposed remains of ancient plants and organisms; coal, petroleum (crude oil), and natural gas; non-renewable energy, hydrocarbon) and, being vulnerable (susceptible, at risk, unprotected, defenseless) to the impacts of historical stocks (cumulative atmospheric carbon emissions built up since the industrial revolution; legacy carbon, cumulative emissions, historical carbon pool) of carbon (referring to carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere; emissions, greenhouse gases), deserve (merit, earn, warrant, justify) greater financial support and affordable (cheap, inexpensive, economical, reasonable) technology from richer developed countries (a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure; industrialized nation, advanced economy, First World country, rich nation) responsible for the crisis (emergency, disaster, catastrophe, plight). The latest report unfortunately (unluckily, sadly, regrettably, alas) has little to say on adaptation finance (funding provided to assist developing countries in taking action to adapt to the effects of climate change; climate funding, green finance), though there are previous assessments (evaluation, judgment, analysis, appraisal) on the topic. With countries set (ready, prepared, or likely to do something; ready, prepared, primed, arranged) to convene in Türkiye in November for COP31 (the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, focusing on advancing global climate action and implementation), familiar disagreements (argument, dispute, difference of opinion, conflict) are likely to surface (emerge, arise, appear, come to light) — but in the aftermath of (following, subsequent to, in the wake of, after) the Bhotekoshi disaster (a devastating flash flood and landslide event that occurred in August 2026 in the Bhotekoshi river basin of Nepal, heavily linked to the impacts of climate change) in Nepal, India’s position too has been complicated (to make something more difficult or confusing; confuse, muddy, entangle, muddle). Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Shisir Khanal, has said that major industrial emitters (nations or major sectors that produce large volumes of industrial greenhouse emissions; major polluters, heavy carbon emitters) such as China, the United States and India must consider the impact of rising temperatures on small countries such as Nepal. For India, this list means that a section of the world — despite (in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding, even with) India’s position as a victim of climate change with below-world-average per capita emissions (emissions produced per person that are lower than the global average; the global average for fossil CO₂ emissions was about 4.73 tonnes per person in 2024, while per-capita greenhouse-gas emissions vary considerably depending on whether land-use change is included) — sees it as part of the problem. India must take such perceptions (view, interpretation, impression, understanding) seriously and, rather than (instead of; as opposed to, in place of, as an alternative to) ignore the reality of a 1.5°C world, should calibrate (to carefully assess, set, or adjust something; adjust, regulate, tune, modify) its messaging (communication, statements, discourse, narrative) to adapt to (adjust to new conditions or circumstances; adjust to, accommodate, modify to suit, become accustomed to) it.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.victim (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पीड़ित
English Meaning - sufferer, aggrieved party, vulnerable entity, casualty, prey, target.

2.mindset (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मानसिकता, सोच
English Meaning - attitude, mentality, way of thinking.

3.act on (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - कार्रवाई करना
English Meaning - to take action as a result of something; respond to, react to, follow up on, take steps regarding.

4.climate change (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a long-term alteration in the earth’s climate and global temperatures; global warming, climate crisis, greenhouse effect.

5.The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संयुक्त राष्ट्र पर्यावरण कार्यक्रम
English Meaning - it is the United Nations’ leading global authority on the environment, driving transformational change on the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature, land and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste. (Established in 1972 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya).

6.likely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - संभवतः
English Meaning - probably going to happen; probably, presumably, doubtlessly, in all probability.

7.global warming (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वैश्विक तापन
English Meaning - a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect; climate change.

8.irreversible (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अपरिवर्तनीय
English Meaning - impossible to reverse, cure, or change back to a previous condition; unalterable, permanent, irrevocable, irreparable.

9.adaptation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुकूलन
English Meaning - adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects, to moderate potential harm or benefit from opportunities associated with climate change; alteration, modification, adjustment, acclimation, acclimatization.

10.pledge (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिज्ञा, प्रतिबद्धता
English Meaning - a solemn promise or undertaking; promise, commitment, assurance, vow.

11.given (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - को ध्यान में रखते हुए, को देखते हुए
English Meaning - taking into account or considering a particular thing; considering, bearing in mind, keeping in mind, in view of.

12.ongoing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - जारी, लगातार चल रहा
English Meaning - continuing, continuous, constant, unrelenting.

13.equatorial (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - भूमध्यरेखीय
English Meaning - relating to the region around the equator, characterised by a hot climate; tropical, sweltering, torrid, hot.

14.expect (verb)

Hindi Meaning - उम्मीद करना, अपेक्षा करना
English Meaning - anticipate, predict, forecast, foresee.

15.burgeon (verb)

Hindi Meaning - तेजी से बढ़ना
English Meaning - flourish, thrive, prosper, expand.

16.breach (verb)

English Meaning - to break or fail to observe; violate, contravene, infringe, overstep; exceed, .

17.acceptance (noun)

English Meaning - acknowledgment, recognition, admission, concession.

18.shed (verb)

English Meaning - to get rid of something; discard, cast off, drop, reject, abandon.

19.Limiting Overshoot (noun)

English Meaning - an official report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that highlights the significant risks of exceeding the 1.5°C global warming limit and the difficulty of reversing the associated climate impacts.

20.undo (verb)

English Meaning - reverse, cancel, annul, nullify.

21.deliver on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to do what one has promised or expected to do; fulfill, achieve, accomplish, realize.

22.poised (adjective)

English Meaning - ready or prepared to do something; prepared, ready, primed, positioned.

23.El Niño (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can have significant impacts on global weather patterns including reducing monsoon rainfall in India.

24.La Niña (noun)

English Meaning - a climate pattern characterized by the unusual cooling of surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically associated with stronger and above-normal monsoon rainfall in India.

25.scientific reality (noun phrase)

English Meaning - an undeniable state or fact backed by empirical research and consensus; empirical fact, objective reality, scientific truth.

26.conclusion (noun)

English Meaning - deduction, inference, judgment, verdict.

27.nothing more (phrase)

English Meaning - literally meaning no other action or thing; nothing else, absolutely nothing, nil, zero.

28.overshoot, peak and decline (phrase)

English Meaning - a specific climate trajectory where global temperatures temporarily exceed a target (overshoot), reach a maximum level (peak), and are eventually brought back down (decline).

29.under which (phrase)

English Meaning - subject to the authority, rule, or condition of; whereby, by which, according to which, in accordance with which.

30.average global temperature (noun)

English Meaning - the average temperature of the Earth’s surface over the entire globe; the actual average global temperature in 2025 was estimated at 15.08°C, while the global average surface temperature was 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average.

31.rise above (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to increase to a higher level than a specific mark or limit; exceed, surpass, transcend, top.

32.collectively (adverb)

English Meaning - as a group or as a whole; together, unitedly, jointly, collaboratively.

33.hold (verb)

English Meaning - to keep something at a particular level or state; maintain, keep, sustain, preserve.

34.as low as possible (phrase)

English Meaning - minimally, at the lowest point, minimally achievable, bottommost.

35.bring back (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - restore, reinstate, reestablish, return.

36.by the end of the century (phrase)

English Meaning - occurring before the transition to the next 100-year period; by 2100.

37.neutralise (verb)

English Meaning - to make something ineffective or harmless by applying an opposite force or effect; counteract, offset, negate, counterbalance.

38.heating effect (noun)

English Meaning - warming impact, thermal effect, greenhouse effect, temperature elevation.

39.far (adverb)

English Meaning - significantly, considerably, notably, substantially.

40.in the first place (phrase)

English Meaning - initially, originally, to begin with, at the outset.

41.in itself (phrase)

English Meaning - inherently, intrinsically, by its very nature, fundamentally.

42.nothing new (phrase)

English Meaning - familiar, unoriginal, unsurprising, expected.

43.emphasis (noun)

English Meaning - special importance, prominence; stress, significance, weight, priority.

44.greenhouse gas (GHGs) (noun)

English Meaning - heat-trapping gas; a gas (such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc.) in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation, causing the greenhouse effect and warming of Earth’s temperature.

45.carbon dioxide (noun)

English Meaning - a colourless, odourless gas produced by burning carbon and organic compounds, heavily contributing to climate change; CO2, greenhouse gas.

46.methane (noun)

English Meaning - a colourless, odourless flammable gas that is a potent greenhouse gas; CH4, natural gas, biogas.

47.effective (adjective)

English Meaning - successful, productive, efficacious, fruitful.

48.in the near-term (phrase)

English Meaning - in the short run, shortly, soon, in the immediate future.

49.among (preposition)

English Meaning - amidst, in the middle of, included in, part of.

50.Global Methane Pledge (GMP) (noun)

English Meaning - a voluntary international initiative launched by the United States and the European Union at COP26 in 2021, under which participating countries commit to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.

51.anthropogenic (adjective)

English Meaning - human-caused, human-induced, man-made, artificial.

52.absence (noun)

English Meaning - lack, non-existence, unavailability, deficiency.

53.reflect (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, show, display, demonstrate.

54.tension (noun)

English Meaning - strain, friction, conflict, discord.

55.nature (noun)

English Meaning - the basic or inherent features, character, or qualities of something; kind, type, sort, category.

56.emphasise (verb)

English Meaning - stress, highlight, underline, underscore.

57.mitigation (noun)

English Meaning - reduction, alleviation, diminution, lessening.

58.developing economy (noun)

English Meaning - a nation with a less developed industrial base relative to other countries; developing nation, emerging economy, less economically developed country, Third World country.

59.such as (phrase)

English Meaning - for example; for instance, like, namely, specifically.

60.stress (verb)

English Meaning - emphasize, underline, highlight, underscore.

61.en route (phrase)

English Meaning - during the course of a journey or process; on the way, in transit, on the move, moving towards.

62.move away from (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to stop doing or using something and switch to something else; transition from, abandon, shift from, distance oneself from.

63.fossil fuel (noun)

English Meaning - hydrocarbon-based energy sources formed deep within the Earth’s crust over millions of years from the decomposed remains of ancient plants and organisms; coal, petroleum (crude oil), and natural gas; non-renewable energy, hydrocarbon.

64.vulnerable (adjective)

English Meaning - susceptible, at risk, unprotected, defenseless.

65.historical (adjective)

English Meaning - past, bygone, ancient, preceding.

66.historical stocks (noun)

English Meaning - cumulative atmospheric carbon emissions built up since the industrial revolution; legacy carbon, cumulative emissions, historical carbon pool.

67.carbon (noun)

English Meaning - referring to carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere; emissions, greenhouse gases.

68.deserve (verb)

English Meaning - merit, earn, warrant, justify.

69.affordable (adjective)

English Meaning - cheap, inexpensive, economical, reasonable.

70.developed country (noun)

English Meaning - a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure; industrialized nation, advanced economy, First World country, rich nation.

71.crisis (noun)

English Meaning - emergency, disaster, catastrophe, plight.

72.unfortunately (adverb)

English Meaning - unluckily, sadly, regrettably, alas.

73.have little to say (phrase)

English Meaning - to offer minimal comment, detail, or focus on a particular subject; ignore, neglect, gloss over, bypass.

74.adaptation finance (noun)

English Meaning - funding provided to assist developing countries in taking action to adapt to the effects of climate change; climate funding, green finance.

75.assessment (noun)

English Meaning - evaluation, judgment, analysis, appraisal.

76.set (adjective)

English Meaning - ready, prepared, or likely to do something; ready, prepared, primed, arranged.

77.Conference of the Parties (COP) (noun)

English Meaning - The Conference of Parties (COP) is the apex decision-making body of the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was formed in 1994 to stabilize the greenhouse gas emissions and to protect the earth from the threat of climate change. COP members have been meeting every year since the year 1995. As of 2022, the number of member countries in the UNFCCC has reached 198. The first conference (COP1) was held in 1995 in Berlin. The 30th session (COP30) was held in 2025 in Belém, Brazil.

78.COP31 (proper noun)

English Meaning - the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, focusing on advancing global climate action and implementation.

79.disagreement (noun)

English Meaning - argument, dispute, difference of opinion, conflict.

80.surface (verb)

English Meaning - emerge, arise, appear, come to light.

81.in the aftermath of (phrase)

English Meaning - following, subsequent to, in the wake of, after.

82.Bhotekoshi disaster (noun)

English Meaning - a devastating flash flood and landslide event that occurred in August 2026 in the Bhotekoshi river basin of Nepal, heavily linked to the impacts of climate change.

83.complicate (verb)

English Meaning - to make something more difficult or confusing; confuse, muddy, entangle, muddle.

84.industrial emitters (noun phrase)

English Meaning - nations or major sectors that produce large volumes of industrial greenhouse emissions; major polluters, heavy carbon emitters.

85.emitter (noun)

English Meaning - a person, country, or organization that discharges substances, especially greenhouse gases, into the atmosphere; polluter, discharger, source, releaser.

86.despite (preposition)

English Meaning - in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding, even with.

87.below-world-average per capita emissions (phrase)

English Meaning - emissions produced per person that are lower than the global average; the global average for fossil CO₂ emissions was about 4.73 tonnes per person in 2024, while per-capita greenhouse-gas emissions vary considerably depending on whether land-use change is included.

88.per capita (adjective)

English Meaning - for each person; per person, per head, individually, for each individual.

89.emission (noun)

English Meaning - the production and discharge of something, especially gas; discharge, release, outpouring, exhalation.

90.see as (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to consider or view someone or something in a particular way; view as, regard as, consider to be, perceive as.

91.perception (noun)

English Meaning - view, interpretation, impression, understanding.

92.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of; as opposed to, in place of, as an alternative to.

93.calibrate (verb)

English Meaning - to carefully assess, set, or adjust something; adjust, regulate, tune, modify.

94.messaging (noun)

English Meaning - communication, statements, discourse, narrative.

95.adapt to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - adjust to new conditions or circumstances; adjust to, accommodate, modify to suit, become accustomed to.