The likelihood of global temperature rise staying within the 1.5 degree range has fallen sharply in the past three years. A new assessment led by British and Irish scientists shows that all key measures of climate change have deteriorated rapidly. Average human-caused warming over the past decade has been 1.14 degrees, moving ever closer to the 1.5 degree limit that scientists have warned must not be exceeded. Greenhouse gas emissions are still being released at a record level, reaching 54 billion tonnes a year. The remaining carbon budget – the maximum emissions left to keep the temperature rise at least 50% a chance of keeping it at 1.5 degrees – has halved in three years. The assessment is the work of 50 scientists who have committed to publishing more regular updates on climate change indicators than the current United Nations process provides. (Caroline O'Doherty, Independent)