Trade Briefs
Global Warming: A Paradigm shift is required to avert disaster
The latest report released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved on 6 October 2018 is a stark reminder of the dire consequences and impact of global warming, even under a more ambitious target of a 1.5°C limit. This is particularly concerning since parties to the Paris Agreement agreed to limit global warming to 2°C. The report shows that limiting it to the more ambitious target of 1.5°C would still have dire consequences.
The Report provides an outline of the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas (GHG) emission pathways in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. The report contains findings based on available scientific, technical and socioeconomic literature. These findings, as well as comparisons between warming of 2°C, are discussed in this paper. The global impact of the two scenarios of 1.5°C and 2°C warming is outlined as well as their impact on Africa.
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