THE WARMER the planet, the more unlikely it is for in particular small island states, such as those of the Caribbean, to effectively adapt to a changing climate.
“Adaptation is expected to be more challenging for ecosystems, food and health systems at 2 degrees C of global warming than for 1.5 degrees Celsius (medium confidence). Some vulnerable regions, including small islands and Least Developed Countries, are projected to experience high multiple interrelated climate risks even at global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius (high confidence),” reveals a section of the recently approved Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees C by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
“Limits to adaptive capacity exist at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, become more pronounced at higher levels of warming and vary by sector, with site-specific implications for vulnerable regions, ecosystems, and human health (medium confidence),” it added.
The report’s revelation strengths the long-held argument of small island developing states for climate response efforts to target 1.5 as against two degrees Celsius as the principal target for a cap in global temperatures.
As things stand, the historic Paris Agreement provides for a level ambition of “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the tempera-ture increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels”.
Nevertheless, some developed countries have remained more inclined to aim for two degrees, and certainly in the absence of scientific data showing the perils of 1.5, which this new IPCC report now establishes.
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