The 1.5°C limit and risks of overshoot

This briefing looks at what the 1.5°C limit means in terms of adaptation and loss and damage for the most vulnerable countries and regions. It finds that slowing down warming is critical to buy us time to adapt and also to avoid irreversible loss and damage. Even if warming rises above 1.5°C (overshoot) we can bring it down again with ambitious emissions reductions.

Le seuil de +1,5°C et le risque de dépassement de ce seuil

Ce rapport examine ce que la limite de 1,5 °C signifie en termes d'adaptation et de pertes et dommages pour les pays et régions les plus vulnérables. Il constate qu'il est essentiel de ralentir le réchauffement pour nous donner le temps de nous adapter et pour éviter des pertes et des dommages irréversibles. Même si le réchauffement dépasse 1,5 °C, nous pouvons le faire baisser à nouveau en réduisant les émissions de manière ambitieuse.

Climate justice and loss and damage: perspectives from the global south

This article outlines the loss and damage debate through a climate justice lens with particular emphasis on Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries. It examines the latest developments of the new loss and damage fund including operationalisation.

Advisory opinion on "Climate emergency and human rights"

This Amicus Curiae is an advisory opinion requested by the republics of Chile and Colombia on "Climate emergency and human rights". It was presented by Climate Analytics Caribbean to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. It outlines the intricate intersections of climate change, human rights, and state obligations, with a specific emphasis on the unique challenges faced by Caribbean nations.

Carbon majors’ trillion dollar damages

In this report we explore who could pay for loss and damage through the lens of responsibility for historic emissions, and the financial gains generated from selling oil and gas.

Coastal loss and damage for small islands

This commentary on a paper in Nature Sustainability reviews how the study quantifies the impacts of sea-level rise on small island states and estimates the impacts in terms of cost, land loss and population exposure across all small islands worldwide.

The effects of political knowledge use by developing country negotiators in Loss and Damage negotiations

This article traces how developing country negotiators used knowledge to further their interests in loss and damage negotiations from 2003 to 2013.

Risks of synchronised low yields are underestimated in climate and crop model projections

This study finds that the jet stream – air currents in the upper atmosphere – can synchronise extreme weather caused by climate change, resulting in crop failures in multiple countries at the same time.

Research agenda for the loss and damage fund

This piece in Nature discusses what research could contribute to the design of the loss and damage fund.

Uncompensated claims to fair emission space risk putting Paris Agreement goals out of reach

Based on scenarios underlying the IPCC's 6th Assessment Report, in this paper we construct a suite of scenarios that combine the following elements: (a) two quantifications of a moral claim to the remaining carbon space by South Asia, and Africa, (b) a 'highest possible emission reduction' effort by developed regions, and (c) a corresponding range for other developing regions. Our findings raise important questions of perspectives on equity in the context of the Paris Agreement including on the critical importance of climate finance.

Long term strategies: low carbon growth, resilience and prosperity for Least Developed Countries

Long-term, low greenhouse gas emission development strategies provide a beneficial space for Least Developed Countries to set out a visionary blueprint for a resilient, decarbonised future, compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C.

Accounting for socioeconomic constraints in sustainable irrigation expansion assessments

This paper provides five scenarios of sustainable irrigation deployment in the 21st century integrated into the framework of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, which account for biophysical irrigation limits and socioeconomic constraints. We find that the potential for sustainable irrigation expansion implied by biophysical limits alone is considerably reduced when socioeconomic factors are considered.

About us

Decarbonisation targets and 1.5℃ pathways

Comment

Climate justice and loss and damage: Hurricane Dorian, Haitians and human rights

Publications