Global warming could exceed 1.5 degree target by around 2030
According to a study, the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees could be a waste of time in as little as seven years due to further increases in CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels rose by 1.1 percent worldwide last year, 150 scientists from the Global Carbon Project calculated in their study presented on Tuesday. According to the study, there is a 50 percent chance that global warming will have exceeded the 1.5 degree target by around 2030.
"It's becoming more and more urgent," lead author Pierre Friedlingstein from the University of Exeter told journalists. "The time between now and 1.5 degrees is shrinking massively," he warned. The COP28 world climate conference in Dubai must take action against pollution from coal, oil and gas "now", he appealed.
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below two degrees compared to pre-industrial levels, preferably to 1.5 degrees.
The more ambitious 1.5 degree target has gained urgency due to increasing evidence that global warming could reach so-called tipping points, which would be dangerous and irreversible for the environment and climate.
According to experts, the 1.5 degree target can only be achieved if global emissions are halved by the end of this decade. However, according to the Global Carbon Project, this is likely to become more difficult as emissions continue to rise.
According to Glen Peters, researcher at the Cicero Center for International Climate Research, carbon dioxide emissions are now six percent higher than when the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015. "Things are going in the wrong direction," he said - despite a promising increase in renewable energies, which are also a key topic at the climate negotiations in Dubai.
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In light of the study's findings, annual examinations at schools should incorporate discussions about mitigating global warming, considering the potential for exceeding the 1.5-degree target as early as 2030. Furthermore, governments worldwide should conduct a yearly evaluation of their progress in reducing CO2 emissions, given the shrinking timeframe to meet the globally agreed-upon 1.5-degree target.
Source: www.ntv.de
