March 25, 2021
Emission reductions of 80% above Paris Agreement targets needed to limit warming
A 2017 University of Washington-led study uncovered that current emissions reductions are not enough to achieve the Paris Agreement’s global temperature target of staying below 2 degrees Celsius warming this century.
After disseminating these findings, the same researchers have now turned their attention to determine what emissions cuts would meet the international climate treaty’s goals.
Using a statistical approach to model human-produced greenhouse gases, the researchers found that carbon emissions must be cut by an average of 1.8% annually to meet the 2 degrees warming goal. This represents reductions 80% above current Paris Agreement commitments. For the U.S., this would entail a 38% increase in its emission-reductions targets.