At COP31, the ‘overshoot’ narrative cannot replace climate action

The focus on creating narratives and coining buzzwords has obscured legitimate scientific discussions at successive COPs. | Photo Credit: AFP COP31 is around the corner, marking the end of a year of extreme weather events, terrible human tragedy, as well as a severe energy crisis. It is also the year in which the world is preparing to officially accept that we will exceed a warming level of 1.5 degrees celsius.The natural corollary to this unassailable reality is that countries should strive to collectively limit warming to as little over 1.5 degrees celsius, and as below 2 degrees, as possible. This requires scientific discussions, assessment of options, and a critical analysis of the trade-offs. However, what we have instead is another buzz word: ‘overshoot’. Published - November 07, 2026 07:00 am IST