The three main types of ‘climate targets’
Galileo Thermometer- Creative Commons: Rachel D, 2007
Climate change targets can be highly confusing. There are various types of targets, and lots of uncertainty about how each target could be met and what would happen if it was. Let’s look at the three main types of target in turn.
Temperature Targets
Ultimately, temperature rise is the thing that matters, as warming causes all the other symptoms of climate change. There’s no agreement about what constitutes a “safe” temperature rise but in the hope of reducing the risks to an acceptable level – and in particular to try and limit the chance of crossing “tipping points” in the climate system – most of the world’s nations have signed up to a non-legally binding target of limiting temperature rise to 2C above pre-industrial levels.
Concentrations Targets
Humans don’t determine the global temperature directly, but by affecting the concentration of greenhouse gases in the air. To meet any temperature target, therefore, the world need to reduce its emissions sufficiently to stabilise that concentration an appropriate level.
Emissions Targets
Concentrations are still one step removed from direct human control. To meet any temperature or concentration target, we need emissions targets to determine how much greenhouse gas we can we can emit over what timeframe.
Read more: The Guardian UK >>
Category: Facts
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