Climate Change

Climate crisis: Even temporarily overshooting 2°C would cause permanent damage to Earth’s species

The concept of climate overshoot is the next thing we will need to get to grips with.

The concept of climate overshoot is the next thing we will need to get to grips with. Image: UNSPLASH/Jeremy Bezanger

Joanne Bentley
Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Ecology, African Climate & Development Initiative., University of Cape Town
Alex Pigot
Research Fellow, Genetics, Evolution & Environment Division of Biosciences., UCL
Andreas L. S. Meyer
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Cape Town
Christopher Trisos
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Maryland
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In this scenario in which the world climate overshoots the 2°C target, emissions do not peak until 2040.
In this scenario in which the world climate overshoots the 2°C target, emissions do not peak until 2040. Image: Meyer et al.
Tropical corals exist at the limit of their thermal tolerance and are especially vulnerable to climate change.
Tropical corals exist at the limit of their thermal tolerance and are especially vulnerable to climate change. Image: Unsplash/ Qui Nguyen

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Related topics:
Climate ChangeNature and BiodiversityFuture of the Environment
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