> Scientists stress that there is nothing magical about the 1.5 °C threshold. It is a political target that was included in the Paris agreement in acknowledgeme

> Scientists stress that there is nothing magical about the 1.5 °C threshold. It is a political target that was included in the Paris agreement in acknowledgement of concerns that an earlier goal of limiting warming to 2 °C might not be strong enough to protect the most vulnerable countries, including island nations at risk of being submerged by rising seas. That does not mean the world is safe below 1.5 °C, nor that everything will suddenly fall apart if it is breached. It’s a spectrum, Hayhoe says, “and every bit of warming matters”.