The aim of keeping climate change within 2°C has been a main focus of policy discourse around the globe since the mid-1990s, a target that has recently been called into question as international bodies have sought to reassess the likelihood of achieving it. A rise of 2°C is significant because it was adopted by the United Nations as the threshold beyond which impacts from climate change are considered to be dangerous (Jordan, 2013).
The 2°C target was established because it is the most achievable goal for society and allows for the worst consequences of climate change to be avoided. Meeting this target requires that the 141 countries who made an agreement at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference cut their energy and industrial emissions in half by 2050 (Climate Works Australia, 2016). Unfortunately the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference found that the increasing growth of CO2 emissions worldwide since 2000 has considerably reduced the probability of limiting warming to 2°C (Jordan, 2013).
It appears that there is a lack of urgency worldwide to mitigate …show more content…
One, mitigate for 2°C but adapt for 4°C; two, adopt new metrics and targets; three, be politically more pragmatic; and four, recommit to staying within 2°C (Jordan, 2013). Option one aims to stay below 2°C, build and budget for 4°C and plan for 5-7°C of warming (Jordan, 2013). Option two aims to create near-term, specific targets in response to the inability of long-term temperature targets to generate short-term policy responses (Jordan, 2013). Option three aims to accept the reality that the 2°C target has failed to generate social change and politicians should instead focus on delivering what is politically achievable (Jordan, 2013). Option four aims to re-energize the commitment to the 2°C target due to the growing danger of high rates of warming (Jordan,
The 2°C target was established because it is the most achievable goal for society and allows for the worst consequences of climate change to be avoided. Meeting this target requires that the 141 countries who made an agreement at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference cut their energy and industrial emissions in half by 2050 (Climate Works Australia, 2016). Unfortunately the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference found that the increasing growth of CO2 emissions worldwide since 2000 has considerably reduced the probability of limiting warming to 2°C (Jordan, 2013).
It appears that there is a lack of urgency worldwide to mitigate …show more content…
One, mitigate for 2°C but adapt for 4°C; two, adopt new metrics and targets; three, be politically more pragmatic; and four, recommit to staying within 2°C (Jordan, 2013). Option one aims to stay below 2°C, build and budget for 4°C and plan for 5-7°C of warming (Jordan, 2013). Option two aims to create near-term, specific targets in response to the inability of long-term temperature targets to generate short-term policy responses (Jordan, 2013). Option three aims to accept the reality that the 2°C target has failed to generate social change and politicians should instead focus on delivering what is politically achievable (Jordan, 2013). Option four aims to re-energize the commitment to the 2°C target due to the growing danger of high rates of warming (Jordan,