U.S. & China Climate Goals: Scenarios for 2030 and Mid-Century
Our report with the Asia Society Policy Institute models the possible range for the U.S. President-elect
Joe Biden’s new energy & climate targets and pathways for China to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century.
Risks of deadly heat stroke to millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims during summer could be halved if global warming is limited to 1.5°C as stipulated in the Paris climate accord compared with 2°C, according to a new study published today in journal Environmental Research Letters.
The second ZERO IN report, released annually by the EU Horizon 2020 project CONSTRAIN, focuses on the new CMIP6 climate models and the science behind the Paris Agreement Long-Term Temperature Goal, highlighting how improved understanding in both areas can help us to better plan for what lies ahead. In particular, it finds that while the effect of COVID-19 on climate has so far been negligible, a green recovery could profoundly alter the trajectory of climate change over the next two decades. The project's findings also reaffirm the importance of stringent near-term emission reductions and reaching net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 to get the world on a 1.5°C pathway. The report also provides an update on the remaining global carbon budget.
Coal is the most carbon intensive fossil fuel and phasing it out is a key step to achieve the emissions reductions needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Most emissions from coal are in the electricity sector and, as we already have the technologies that can replace coal, phase out is a relatively cheap and easy option to reduce emissions. Our research shows coal needs to be phased out globally by 2040 to meet the commitments made in Paris.
Since 2009 over a hundred Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and many others have been calling for limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Placing the 1.5°C limit alongside the legally binding goal to hold global temperatures “well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” in the Paris Agreement was a major victory for vulnerable countries. This page is an information pool for material around the 1.5°C temperature limit.
Our Annual Report 2019 looks back at how our work reflected and fed into the global priorities in areas of advancing climate science to support climate action.
Loss and Damage refers to the impacts of climate change that can no longer be avoided through adaptation or mitigation. It is one of the key issues for vulnerable countries, who have contributed the least to climate change.
They call on the developed world to provide support to cope with Loss and Damage, which otherwise threatens their economies, cultures and the lives of their people.
This page provides background material and key resources, including scientific studies and briefing material and blogs with updates on the policy process under the UNFCCC and under the IPCC.
A year into COVID-19 restrictions, and the world has changed dramatically. Ahead of this year's International Women's Day, we spoke to some our scientists about their research, progressing their PhDs in a pandemic, and how they experience their gender in their work.
Last year, a number of low-income, climate vulnerable countries stepped up their Paris Agreement commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These nations recognise that leapfrogging to climate-friendly development models would not only help save the planet and reduce risks posed by global warming, but that it also presents unique opportunities for social and economic progress. However, unlocking the full mitigation potential of these ambitious developing countries hinges on wealthy nations delivering on their climate finance promises.
The world’s climate pledges so far are only enough to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions to less than 1% below 2010 levels by 2030, according to the UNFCCC. Instead of limiting the world to only 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times — the more stringent of two Paris accord goals — the data shows that world “is headed to close to 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and a global catastrophe if this is not curtailed quickly,” said Bill Hare, director of Climate Analytics.
Many large countries, including the US, the EU, and Australia's key coal and gas markets China, Japan, South Korea, are looking at deeper emission reductions. But Australia appears to be going backwards. Now another issue has arisen from its inaction: border taxes - Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare commentary in The Guardian.
The announcement this week by energy minister Angus Taylor that he’s putting together a major package to prop up oil refineries to preserve dirty fuel supplies to one of the dirtiest car fleets on the planet simply beggars belief. It doesn’t have to be like this. Commentary by Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics.
Because of the international community’s delay in cutting carbon emissions, some degree of reliance on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) options is now inevitable to achieve the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal. This report seeks to answer questions regarding implementation of CDR options at scale. Can the sustainability challenges, risks and trade-offs inherent in large-scale CDR efforts be managed? What governance tools would need to be in place to deploy CDR options at the levels the IPCC says are needed? Can provisions under the current climate change regime support implementation at scale, or will further provisions and incentives be needed?
This study, led by scientists from Climate Analytics, an international climate science and policy institute, is first to show that just half a degree of extra warming between 1.5°C and 2°C makes a big difference in terms of heat stress risk posed to Muslims carrying out religious rites in Saudi Arabia during summer, where the mercury frequently climbs over 45°C even now.
