New climate report suggests temperature targets need to be reevaluated

A report by the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG) has indicated that the current temperature measurement methods are inaccurate and fail to capture the increasing rate of warming, leading to devastating impacts worldwide.

The report suggests expanding climate targets to include greenhouse gas levels as real-time indicators of climate change.

It also called for greater accuracy in monitoring efforts to stay below the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, established in the Paris Agreement in 2015, and set a pathway for nations to mitigate and limit the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Keeping to the 1.5C threshold means by the year 2100, the world’s average surface temperature will have risen to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) warmer than pre-industrial levels.

The Paris Agreement in 2015, a treaty in which 195 nations pledged to tackle climate change, aims to limit global warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, and “pursue efforts” to keep warming within the safer limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In February 2024, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that that the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold of global warming had been breached for a full 12 months for the first time, bringing the world closer to breaking the commitments in the Paris Agreement in the long term.

The CCAG Report called for greater ambition on Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets to ensure they delivered the needed resources to achieve global Net Zero by 2050.

The report said Ghana’s heavy reliance on agriculture made it highly susceptible to the effects of climate change, posing a significant economic threat to the country’s farmers and economy.

“The heavy dependence on these sectors not only makes Ghana vulnerable to global market fluctuations but complicates its path towards sustainable development,” it said.

Dr. Fatima Denton, a member of CCAG and Director of the United Nations University – Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, noted that there was a gap between the necessity of enhancing Ghana’s economic prospects and the threats posed by the climate crisis.

He said the situation remained under-represented in the political discourse.

“Ghana’s policy remains to balance the expansion of fossil fuel production with investment in renewable energy. Whilst Ghana has already committed to an NDC, continued investment in oil production by wealthier nations means it is not realistic for Ghana to end its reliance on fossil fuels at present.

“Until such time that Ghana receives sufficient loss and damage support from developed nations, its oil and gas will continue to be traded in return for economic growth as part of a diversified energy mix,” Dr Denton said.

Sir David King, Chair of CCAG, warned that the current trajectory of global temperature increases was leading humanity towards disaster.

“Each further incremental increase in global temperatures will bring increasing devastation. A global consensus on climate action has so far proven near-impossible to achieve, but this should not prevent countries from stepping up their own efforts.

“Every nation must put everything they can towards their NDCs, to ensure the system is as ambitious and extensive as possible, while fairly addressing the needs of developing countries,” he said.

CCAG is a group of 16 international experts from 10 countries, representing various academic disciplines and indigenous knowledge.

Its members are leading authorities in climate science, carbon emissions, energy, environment, and natural resources, and some also serve on governmental advisory boards.

Source: GNA

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