What is the Paris climate agreement and why does 1.5C matter?

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on BBC or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: For the first time, global temperatures have surpassed the critical threshold of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for an entire year, a significant and concerning milestone that underlines the ongoing challenge of global warming

🔭 The context: The 1.5°C limit is central to the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, where nearly all the world's nations committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the most catastrophic impacts of climate change
• This threshold is intended to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Exceeding this threshold highlights the urgency in addressing climate change and reinforces the need for immediate and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate environmental damage and avoid irreversible impacts on ecosystems and global communities

⏭️ What's next: The breach of the 1.5°C limit underscores the necessity for nations to enhance their climate commitments and take decisive action towards achieving net zero emissions. The focus shifts to future COP meetings and international efforts to curb emissions and support vulnerable countries in adapting to climate impacts

💬 One quote: "Keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels." - Paris Agreement

📈 One stat: Current pledges and targets still put the world on track for around 2.1°C of warming by 2100, according to the independent Climate Action Tracker.

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