Global warming goals impossible, Nobel laureate tells Swiss paper
It will be impossible to meet the goal of keeping global temperature rise this century to under two degrees, American Nobel prizewinner William Nordhaus has told a Swiss newspaper.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jc
العربية
ar
تحقيق أهداف اتفاق باريس لمكافحة الاحتباس الحراري “غير ممكن”
Climate and economic modelling expert Nordhaus, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2018, told the NZZ am Sonntag that half of the existing model calculations come to this conclusion.
“Even if we make the fastest possible turn towards zero emissions, CO2 will continue to accumulate in the atmosphere, because we cannot simply shut down our economy,” he said in an interview with the paper. Nordhaus says the two-degree target was also set without asking about the cost of meeting it.
A key goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change is to keep global warming this century under two degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels.
Meanwhile, a University of Geneva (UNIGE) studyExternal link says people often find it difficult to change their behaviour in response to climate change. But it identifies some of the barriers and suggests ways to overcome them.
According to UNIGE psychology professor Tobias Brosch, one of the difficulties concerns the perception of the problem. The human brain struggles to conceive of the phenomenon, which we can neither feel nor touch directly. Virtual reality could help to raise awareness of the consequences of a rise in temperature, he says.
Another barrier concerns immediate self-interest. Some people do not see how changing their behaviour is beneficial to them. Brosch recommends that emphasis should be put on the direct benefits of changing habits, such as cycling is good for health.
Another big barrier is social, the study says. It is hard to give something up when your neighbour isn’t doing anything to protect the climate. Brosch thinks the solution would be to communicate as much as possible that many people are doing something for the climate, so as to encourage others.
More
More
‘Where is the action?’ Swiss youth leaders frustrated as climate talks end
This content was published on
Empowered by having put climate issues at the centre of recent elections, Swiss youth leaders who travelled to the COP25 are now disappointed.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
At Davos, climate change dominates discussions
This content was published on
The climate overshadowed conversations about fears over an economic downturn, populism, increasingly polarized societies and health crises.
This content was published on
No immediate measure that inconveniences so few people can cut greenhouse gas emissions like banning private jets, argues Mario Huber.
This content was published on
Campaigners have handed in a “Glacier Initiative” calling on the Swiss authorities to dramatically step up efforts to cut greenhouse gases by 2050.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.