What we mean when we talk about 1.5 degrees C

The document explains that the 1.5-degree-C target, established under the 2015 Paris Agreement, is a critical threshold to limit cataclysmic climate impacts. While the Earth has already warmed by 1.2 degrees C since the Industrial Revolution, reaching the 1.5-degree-C limit requires cutting global carbon emissions in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2050. This necessitates a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels—specifically leaving 90% of coal and 60% of oil and gas reserves in the ground—and ending deforestation. The guide warns that the world has already experienced temporary breaches of this threshold and faces a 66% chance of doing so for at least one year between now and 2027. It advises journalists to communicate both the current impacts of 1.2 degrees C and the available solutions to avoid public paralysis while emphasizing that every fraction of a degree of warming increases global risk.

• The 1.5-degree-C target was set by the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit average global temperature increases above pre-industrial levels by 2100, as scientists determined that a 2-degree-C rise would cause more severe impacts.
• To maintain the 1.5-degree-C limit, global carbon emissions must be reduced by 50% by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. This requires ending deforestation and phasing out fossil fuels, with the IEA stating that no new coal-fired power plants or fossil fuel infrastructure should be built, and that 90% of coal and 60% of oil and gas reserves must remain underground.
• The Earth has already warmed by 1.2 degrees C since the Industrial Revolution, and temporary breaches of the 1.5-degree-C threshold have occurred, such as in July 2023. The World Meteorological Organization estimates a 66% probability that the 1.5-degree-C threshold will be exceeded for at least one year between now and 2027.

APA

CCNow (2021). What we mean when we talk about 1.5 degrees C. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/what-we-mean-when-we-talk-about-1-5-degrees-c/

Chicago

CCNow. What we mean when we talk about 1.5 degrees C. Covering Climate Now, 2021. https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/what-we-mean-when-we-talk-about-1-5-degrees-c/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=CCNow |title=What we mean when we talk about 1.5 degrees C |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=28 October 2021 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/what-we-mean-when-we-talk-about-1-5-degrees-c/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ccnow2021what, author = {CCNow}, title = {{What we mean when we talk about 1.5 degrees C}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/resource/what-we-mean-when-we-talk-about-1-5-degrees-c/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }