Global mean temperature indicators linked to warming levels avoiding climate risks

Date Published 2018, May

Authors Pfleiderer, P., Schleussner, C-F, Mengel, M., Rogelj, R

Journal Environmental Research Letters, http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aac319

International climate policy uses global mean temperature rise limits as proxies for societally acceptable levels of climate change. These limits are informed by risk assessments which draw upon projections of climate impacts under various levels of warming. This article illustrates that indicators used to define limits of warming and those used to track the evolution of the Earth System under climate change are not directly comparable.