Plan B For The Planet

The world cannot afford a 2o C rise. The climate change goal must be fixed at 1.5o C so that we get a chance to avert the worst impacts

- Chandra Bhushan

THE 1.5ÊC IPCC report released in Incheon, South Korea has come with a dire prognosis: a 2°C warmer world will have devastating effects on communities, economies and ecosystems. The goal of climate change, therefore, must be firmly fixed to 1.5°C to have a fighting chance to avoid the worst impacts.

But limiting warming to 1.5°C will be difficult, if not impossible. The IPCC report makes it clear that the Paris Agreement cannot limit warming to even 2°C. In order to limit warming to 1.5°C, CO2 emissions will have to be reduced by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2010 levels and reach net-zero by 2050. This means maximum effort needs to be made by 2030. This will be a herculean task considering the obstructionist behaviour of the US—historically the world’s biggest polluter.