Mankind on Brink of Catastrophe as 1.5°C Climate Goal Slips Away

Renowned climate researcher Mojib Latif sees no chance of achieving the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to a forecast by the EU’s Copernicus climate service. “Even if Copernicus says the 1.5-degree target has not yet been permanently exceeded, we simply have to assume with near certainty that temperatures will continue to rise, and therefore the Paris goal of 1.5 degrees has in fact been torn apart,” Latif told the “Mediengruppe Bayern” newspapers (Tuesday editions).

Latif still views the situation as manageable. “Collapse is not an option. We must keep striving and cannot give up,” the climate researcher said. “Even if one goes over the two-degree mark, which is very likely, it would still be worth striving to stay under three degrees. At the moment, we are almost on a three-degree course.”

Latif appeals to German parties not to debate the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045. “We said we want to be climate-neutral by 2045, and the new federal government should not undermine this and push it back.