Target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees will be exceeded by 2026
Target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees will be exceeded by 2026
Words: Eva O’Beirne
It was announced today that there is a 50 per cent chance that the average global temperature will reach 1.5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial levels during the next five years.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, 1.5 degrees is agreed to be a critically important indicator. Past this mark, climate change impacts will become increasingly harmful to people and the entire planet.
Previous reports had forecast just a 10 per cent chance of exceeding the warming threshold between 2017 and 2021. This has now risen to a nearly 50 per cent chance of exceeding 1.5 degrees of warming between now and 2026.
It is 93 per cent likely that the five-year average temperature between now and the end of 2026 will exceed the last five years.
The news comes the same week Irish consumers have been warned about water waste. Dubliners are being advised to cut down on their shower time to three minutes, as Irish Water has warned that this summer could see challenges with Ireland’s water supply.
More than half of Irish households admit to wasting water even though four out of five know it is important to take steps to conserve it, a new survey has found.
Elsewhere on District: Breaking promises: all Irish cervical cancer samples are being screened abroad
