2C
Former presidents of Mexico, Niger, Kiribati join commission to tackle overshoot risks
The Climate Overshoot Commission will explore controversial options to cope with global heating in excess of the 2C Paris limit
Watchdog: Germany must reach net zero emissions by 2038
An independent advisory body on environmental policy warned Germany risks exhausting its carbon budget by 2029 without robust climate action
IEA develops pathway to ambitious 1.5C climate goal
Under pressure, the International Energy Agency has started work on a scenario in line with the toughest target of the Paris Agreement for its influential outlook
‘Despair’ as global carbon emissions to hit new record in 2018
International Energy Agency chief says chance of meeting targets of the Paris Agreement are getting ‘weaker and weaker’
EU lawmakers support 55% emission cuts as IPCC spectre lurks
MEPs are calling on the EU to bump its 2030 target in light of this week’s scientific report of 1.5C of global warming
Economics Nobel goes to inventor of models used in UN 1.5C report
William Nordhaus originated the idea of a 2C global warming limit but last year cast doubt on our ability to reach it. He shares the prize with Paul Romer
Warming of 2C ‘substantially’ more harmful than 1.5C – draft UN report
Latest version of major UN science report concludes the upper temperature goal of the Paris Agreement does not represent a climate safe zone
Leaked final government draft of UN 1.5C climate report – annotated
A draft summary of the most important climate science report of 2018, published here annotated with changes from the previous version
Emissions controls for 1.5C climate target to cost three times 2C: study
Meeting the tougher global warming limit in the Paris Agreement will require earlier emissions cuts in transport and buildings sectors, study shows
Warming could breach 1.5C within five years: UK Met Office
Background warming and natural cycles could push warming beyond 1.5C, within a decade of nations agreeing to try and keep it below that limit
Global carbon emissions rise in 2017, driven by China
The projected 2% increase in carbon dioxide emissions comes from growth in China’s smokestack industries and jeopardises the Paris climate agreement goals, say experts
Did limiting warming to 1.5C just get easier?
A new report has revised the ‘carbon budget’, apparently putting a 1.5C limit to warming within reach. But how useful is this measure?
How did we end up with a 2C climate limit?
The global temperature goal started life as a back-of-the-envelope guess but become a powerful principle for political organising
Sweltering European summer has human fingerprints
The chance of extremely hot days, such as have been seen across southern Europe this summer has been “greatly increased” by climate change
Countries urged to start bargaining over negative emissions
There is an emerging consensus CO2 needs to be sucked out of the air to meet climate goals, but no discussion of which countries are responsible for acting
We already have a magic technology that sucks up carbon
Why have emissions plans that rely on removing carbon from the air with unproven technologies when forests can do it today?
World is well placed to stay under 2C – if we have carbon capture
“We are broadly in the right starting position to keep warming below 2C,” but most models require carbon capture to meet the Paris goal, researchers say
Geoengineering rulebook could be ready by 2020s
Initiative sponsored by Carnegie Council and led by UN climate veteran aims to break silence around geo-technologies and explore their potential
Global warming to shrink US harvests, say scientists
Rising temperatures will lead to massive crop losses in the US, which will increase prices and cause problems for developing countries, says international study
Global 2C warming limit not feasible, warns top economist
With “extreme policy measures”, a 2.5C limit is in reach, according to latest climate model from William Nordhaus