How hot will the planet get? Public opinion is key factor, finds study

Researchers say taking social attitudes into account sees 2100 climate projections varying by 1.8C

Scientists have modelled thousands of possible futures, and found that different social attitudes could make the difference between a temperature increase of just 1.8C or 3.6C by the end of the 21st century.

Researchers dived into how the complex interactions between social factors, such as public opinion or adherence to the status quo, will affect the global heating trajectory by 2100 and found that there were five main possible outcomes. None of them meet the 1.5C Paris agreement target, but almost all achieve 0.5C less heating than the standard models, which don't account for changes in social factors.