Researchers from Duke University in the USA said that by focusing on reducing emissions of other atmospheric gases, as well as CO2, the rate of global warming could be cut in half by 2050.
“Decarbonisation is crucial to meeting our long-term climate goals, but it’s not enough,” said study co-author Drew Shindell.
“To slow warming in the near-term and reduce suffering from the ever-increasing heatwaves, droughts, superstorms and fires, we need to also reduce short-lived climate pollutants this decade.”
The research shows that focusing efforts almost entirely on cutting CO2 emissions, as most governments currently do, can no longer prevent global temperatures from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial times – a key aim of the Paris climate accord.
Such a rise would substantially increase the risks of tipping points at which irreversible impacts will occur. Cutting carbon alone may not be enough to prevent temperatures from rising by 2°C, the study concludes...