Fulfilling CoP26 promises can limit global warming to 2°C: Study

What is the News?

According to a study, Global warming can be limited to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels if all the conditional and unconditional pledges to the Paris Agreement are implemented in full and on time.

What is the study about?

The study has analyzed 154 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and 76 long-term low-emission development strategies submitted by countries.

NDCs are the pledges made by countries that are Parties to the Paris Agreement and typically have a target date of 2030. 

Low-emission development strategies are long-term plans that countries are invited to submit and can be dated to 2050 or beyond — they typically contain the Net Zero plans of countries that have a net-zero emissions target. 

What did the study find out?

The study has found that climate pledges made by the countries if they are all implemented in full and on time – could limit global warming to just below 2 degrees C hotter than pre-industrial time. 

What will be the impact of 2 degrees Celsius Global Warming? 

New Delhi-based think-tank Center for Science and Environment(CSE) had pointed out that the impacts of 2 degrees Celsius of warming will be catastrophic compared to a 1.5C world and would lead to irreversible planetary changes such as:  

1) Sea-level rise will be around 0.1 meters greater than a 1.5C world; 2) Coral reefs would face extinction; 3) climate-induced extinction rates for plants and animals would increase by 50%. 

These effects will be felt most by the developing world.

Source: This post is based on the article “Fulfilling CoP26 promises can limit global warming to 2°C: Study” published in Down To Earth on 25th April 2022.