Climate researcher warns:

1.5-degree target is “denial of reality”

(Bild: Korn V. stock.adobe)

Global warming can only be kept within reasonably acceptable limits if drastic measures are taken as soon as possible, warns German climate researcher Mojib Latif. The 1.5 degree limit has long since been exceeded.

"I find it downright ridiculous that global politics is still clinging to the 1.5-degree target," Latif told the newspapers of the Bavarian media group on Tuesday. "This has de facto long since been broken."

According to Latif, there have already been "many months, even a twelve-month period" in which the 1.5-degree limit has been exceeded. "It is therefore something of a denial of reality if we continue to invoke this target value." "We will also break the two-degree mark," says Latif.

Climate conferences "not effective"
 However, the scientist, who teaches in Kiel, criticized that the declarations of the most recent world climate conferences did not convey the will to do so. "After 28 previous world climate conferences, more than a quarter of a century, still no real breakthrough has been achieved, even though we keep hearing about new historic breakthroughs year after year." Latif described the climate conferences as "not effective".

(Bild: sasha sementsev stock.adobe)

This year's UN Climate Change Conference COP29 begins on November 11 in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. Latif called the expected presentation of national climate protection plans and the offer of higher aid for poor countries "curing the symptoms". The climate conferences "will never lead to a goal. You can negotiate yourself to death," he said with conviction. "Action instead of negotiation should be the motto."

After all, the conferences "always draw the world's public attention to the issue of climate. That should not be underestimated," Latif continued. "Secondly, the poor countries are heard at least once a year about what climate change means for them. It also draws attention to new technologies that can help deal with the problem." However, the conferences did not fulfill their actual purpose of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Crises and wars overshadow climate change 
Overall, the researcher believes that climate policy is being sidelined by the many crises and wars in the world. "In Germany, perhaps apart from the Greens, the other political parties have largely lost the courage to protect the climate," lamented Latif. "This shows me that the issue is still not being taken seriously, even though the signs in the form of extreme weather and disasters are constantly increasing."