News by Levels · Level 3 · Student worksheet

Climate Overshoot Could Leave Long-Term Ice Damage, Report Finds

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

A scientific assessment published on November 2 warns that temporarily exceeding 1.5°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels could leave lasting damage to the planet’s frozen regions, even if temperatures subsequently decline.

The report was produced by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative in coordination with the UN Environment Programme. It examines an “overshoot” scenario: warming passes a threshold before falling again. The effects depend on how high temperatures rise and how long they remain elevated.

According to the authors, some losses from glaciers and ice sheets could be effectively irreversible over human timescales. The consequences include rising seas and pressure on water supplies for communities that depend on mountain ice.

The report also says deep emissions cuts could limit further damage. Lower temperatures could allow some sea ice and glaciers to recover partly over decades or centuries, but not every loss would be reversed.

Source: International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, 2026-11-02. https://iccinet.org/overshoot/

Read and practise

1. What affects the damage from an overshoot, according to the report?

   1. How high temperatures rise and how long they stay elevated
   2. Only the day when temperatures first pass the threshold
   3. Only the temperature at the end of the period

2. Which effects of ice loss does the report describe?

   1. Falling seas and increased mountain ice supplies
   2. Stable seas and guaranteed water supplies everywhere
   3. Rising seas and pressure on mountain communities’ water supplies

3. How does the article describe possible ice recovery?

   1. Neither glaciers nor sea ice could ever recover in any scenario.
   2. Some ice may recover partly over decades or centuries, but not every loss will reverse.
   3. All lost ice will return within a decade of cooling.

Your turn

Explain why the height and duration of an overshoot matter and describe one possible consequence.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/climate-overshoot-glaciers-ice-report-november-2026/level-3/