Meaning of would (The speed of the rise in temperature would be far faster...)

[KLPNO]

Hello everyone
I'd like to ask about the meaning of 'would' in a sentence in the following passage.

After 1850 global temperatures increased slightly for natural reasons but by the mid-1990s scientific evidence made it clear that human activities had caused a further 0.5°C rise in temperature. However, most of the gases put into the atmosphere in the last few decades of the twentieth century had still not had any effect on temperatures and a further rise of 0.5°C was therefore inevitable with a total rise of 2.5°C by the first decades of the twenty-first century almost certain if the rise in gases continues at the current projected rate. The speed of the rise in temperature would be far faster than the ability of natural ecosystems to adapt and would bring global temperatures
to their highest level since the major inter-glacial period about 120,000
BCE.

Does 'would' in this case express a long gradual action in the past and is it possible to use simple past instead of would without changing the meaning -- "was far faster" and "brought" respectively?

[Jamie (K)]

In this case, the word "would" means "will, if predictions come true". So they're talking about something uncertain in the future. It's like saying, "They say that the speed of the rise in temperature will be far faster, but it's only projection and has not been proven."

[KLPNO]