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The big picture on a Hothouse Earth

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Introduction by Johan Rockström at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting 2019

An international team of scientists has published a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) showing that even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met, there is a risk of Earth entering what the scientists call “Hothouse Earth” conditions.

A “Hothouse Earth” climate will in the long term stabilize at a global average of 4-5°C higher than pre-industrial temperatures with sea level 10-60 m higher than today, the paper says.

The authors conclude it is now urgent to greatly accelerate the transition towards an emission-free world economy. Read more here

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