Importance of 1.5 Degree Celsius Target
Context:
- Two publications, named “Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2023–2027” and “State of Global Climate 2022,” were released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
A Report:
- The annual mean global surface temperature between 2023 and 2027 is expected to be 1.1–1.8 degrees Celsius higher than the baseline temperature of 1850–1900 or pre-industrial levels, according to the WMO’s decadal estimates.
- The average will surpass 1.5 degrees by 2027, which will mark a turning point beyond which there may be no turning back. In 2022, it was 1.15 degrees above the baseline.
The goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius?
- The goal of the global climate is to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100 in order to keep the globe from entering into new climate disasters.
- A warming of 2 degrees was considered tolerable for many years. Small island nations, however, rejected the 2 degree aim since it suggested that their survival was in jeopardy.
- At the Cancun COP16 in 2010, nations vowed to keep average global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
- The Paris Agreement’s signatories agreed in 2015 to actively pursue a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees over pre-industrial levels while actively limiting it to below 2 degrees.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approved this as a global goal in 2018 and it has subsequently been pursued in all climate discussions.
Target criticality of 1.5 degrees:
- A special report on the effects of global warming when temperatures rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius above baseline was published by the IPCC in 2018.
- At a 2 degree threshold, we should expect frequent and severe heat waves, droughts, heavy precipitation, an additional 10-centimeter rise in sea level, the devastation of ecosystems, and most effects that are permanent.
- Discussions of the average temperature increase, however, do not indicate that the earth is currently warming uniformly. For instance, the Arctic is experiencing warming above the world norm, and the phrase “polar amplification” is gaining popularity.
Climate change effects:
- Depending on exposure, sensitivity, and capacity for adaptation, climate risks and hazards have an impact on both the human population and the ecosystem.
- It has made deaths, evictions, and food insecurity worse.
- Crop productivity has been significantly impacted by climate change, and in recent years, agricultural diseases and pests have become more dangerous.
- Acute food shortages in nations including Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Afghanistan are causing malnutrition and famine and need for immediate humanitarian aid.
- Crop yields were also affected by the 2022 heatwaves in Pakistan and India.
- Since 2020, the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya) has been experiencing harsh drought conditions, while western African nations are experiencing floods and torrential rainfall that have caused millions to experience severe food insecurity.
- Mass emigration both inside and beyond borders has also been caused by this food shortage. Due to the flooding, storms, and heavy snowfall, thousands of people have been forced to flee Syria and Yemen.
- Ecosystems on land and in the water have not been exempt from such shifts in climatic patterns.
- In Sub-Saharan Africa, the population of migratory species has decreased.
- Additionally, coral reefs that are already vulnerable to bleaching could perish from warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Effects on India:
- India has been bearing an increasing amount of the effects of climate change. The warmest month since records have been kept beginning in 1901 was February 2023.
- India saw harsh weather on 80% of the days in 2022. After experiencing unusually high temperatures during the pre-monsoon season, the Indian monsoons were wetter than typical last year, which led to wildfires in Uttarakhand and severe food shortages.
The Performance of India:
- India placed eighth with a strong performance on the Climate Change Performance Index 2023, behind Denmark, Sweden, Chile, and Morocco.
- Being a growing economy with development demands, it is making an effort to reconcile those needs with continued global and domestic climate action.
- India is doing reasonably well despite contributing very little to global GHG emissions thanks to domestic initiatives like the Green Hydrogen Mission and the introduction of green bonds.
- India can demonstrate that it is a responsible climate player on a global scale through the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, keeping in mind that it still has a long way to go in a short amount of time.