PinBlogger The Paris Agreement is an international treaty that aims to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, with an aspiration to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). The 2-degree target was chosen based on scientific evidence that shows that if the planet warms beyond this threshold, it could have catastrophic consequences for the Earth`s ecosystems and human societies.
The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 by 196 countries at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris. The agreement aims to bring together all nations to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact, and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future.
The 2-degree target is based on research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is a scientific body established by the United Nations to provide an objective and comprehensive scientific assessment of climate change and its impacts. The IPCC has analyzed numerous scenarios of climate change under different levels of warming, and has concluded that limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius is vital for avoiding the most dangerous consequences of climate change.
But why 2 degrees? The following are some of the reasons why the 2-degree target was chosen:
1. Avoiding the most dangerous climate impacts: The IPCC has identified a range of climate impacts that become increasingly severe as global temperatures rise, including sea-level rise, more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms. Limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius is seen as a threshold beyond which the risks of these impacts become considerably higher.
2. Protecting vulnerable nations and communities: Many countries, particularly low-lying island nations, are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. For these communities, even a small increase in temperature can have devastating consequences, such as rising sea levels that can lead to displacement and loss of homes and livelihoods. The 2-degree target aims to protect vulnerable communities from the worst impacts of climate change.
3. Maintaining ecological balance: The Earth`s ecosystems are complex and interconnected, and they rely on a delicate balance of climatic conditions. A temperature increase of more than 2 degrees Celsius is likely to cause significant disruptions to ecosystems, leading to a loss of biodiversity and the extinction of many species.
In conclusion, the Paris Agreement`s goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius is critical to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Achieving this target will require urgent and unprecedented action, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and investing in research and development of new low-carbon technologies. By working together, nations can tackle the global challenge of climate change and help secure a sustainable future for generations to come.
