Why we need the next-to-impossible 1.5°C temperature target | Simon Donner

By agreeing on the aspirational target, we're officially recognizing the scientific evidence that harm will come with more warming.

The agreement signed at the United Nations climate summit in Paris has been hailed as historic, ground-breaking, and unprecedented.

At the same time, the targets are so ambitious that many climate analysts are rolling their eyes. The agreement aims to limit warming to "well below" 2C above pre-industrial levels, and recognizes that avoiding 1.5C of warming "would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change."