climate protection

What do people mean when they talk about the “1.5°C goal” in the context of climate change? What is the origin of this value and how is it quantified? What happens if we exceed it – is there any way back down below a global warming of 1.5°C? In this text, we look at the emergence of the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and explain why we need to keep it within reach.

Every five years, the Parties to the Paris Agreement are called to submit new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The new round of NDCs is due in 2025. With the NDCs submitted by mid-2024, the world is heading for a global warming of 2.6 to 3.1 degrees by the end of the century. At COP28, Parties agreed that the new NDCs should be aligned with the 1.5 degrees climate target.

Without freight transport shop shelves would be empty, and the economy would grind to a halt. But transporting goods and waste generates noise, air pollutants and greenhouse gases. To counter this the UBA in its vision for 2045 recommends to shift transports to trains and inland shipping while electrifying lorries and ships and avoiding goods transport altogether whenever possible.

As part of an in-house research project, UBA is working on the use and further development of an integrated assessment model (IAM) developed by the independent research institute IIASA. IAMs combine economic, social and ecological aspects for the development of climate action scenarios and are central to the IPCC process. The cooperation between UBA and IIASA is now official.

The outcomes of the World Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP29) have caused disappointment both in Baku and worldwide. Nevertheless, they still contribute to the international climate action process – an achievement that cannot be taken for granted given the current geopolitical situation.

The Global Stocktake assesses the collective progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement every five years. The first Global Stocktake has revealed major gaps on the way to achieving international climate action goals but also pointed at a clear path ahead. On behalf of UBA, researchers analysed the contributions of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

Ukrainian guest scientist Dr Olena Matukhno has received the Georg Forster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers and the Green Heart Leader honorary award. She has worked at the German Environment Agency (UBA) since June 2022. The research is centred around achieving the climate goals in the Ukrainian iron and steel industry through decarbonisation and carbon offsetting measures.

Fluorinated gases in the atmosphere form degradation products such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). TFA enters the water cycle through precipitation and cannot be removed by proportionate means.