Future-proofing interpretations of the Paris Agreement’s limit of well below 2 °C

Lamboll, R.D. & Rogelj, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2056-9061 (2026). Future-proofing interpretations of the Paris Agreement’s limit of well below 2 °C. Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-026-02685-y. (In Press)

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Abstract

The Paris Agreement’s ‘well below 2 °C’ target is often interpreted as holding warming below 2 °C with a probability in the 66–90% range. We argue that such interpretations are not future-proof as decreasing uncertainties with time will allow temperatures to approach 2 °C later in the century. We show how referring to median warming can resolve this issue and illustrate how past probabilistic target interpretations would translate to a median 1.65–1.8 °C warming limit range.

Item Type: Article
Research Programs: Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) > Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) > Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions (TISS)
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Michaela Rossini
Date Deposited: 08 Jul 2026 10:43
Last Modified: 08 Jul 2026 10:43
URI: https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/21716

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