Climate report card

For all its political frustrations, the 2015 Paris Climate Accord has shaved 1.4∘C off the warming expected by the end of this century. That progress translates to reducing the projected number of extreme heat days from an average of 114 down to 57 per year.

A team of scientists published research this fall finding that the emissions targets in the Paris agreement cut projected warming from 4∘C above pre-industrial levels down to 2.4∘C. While the original goal was to limit warming to 1.5∘C—a target that remains mathematically possible but increasingly unlikely—experts still hope to keep warming below 2∘C. Staying under this threshold may prevent tipping points, such as the large-scale melting of permafrost and polar ice sheets, which would trigger major global impacts.

Source: Bloomberg