The Paris Agreement Pre-Industrial Levels: Understanding the Climate Change Treaty

The Paris Agreement, signed in December 2015, is a pledge among nations to work towards limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. But what exactly does “pre-industrial levels” mean? And why is it so important?

Pre-industrial levels refer to the time before human activity significantly impacted the Earth`s climate system, which is roughly the mid-1800s. At this time, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was around 280 ppm (parts per million). Since then, as a result of activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other land-use changes, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen to over 410 ppm, a level not seen in at least 800,000 years.

The Paris Agreement recognizes the importance of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This target was based on scientific evidence that beyond this level, the risks and impacts of climate change become increasingly severe and potentially irreversible.

To achieve this goal, the Paris Agreement aims to keep global greenhouse gas emissions in check by setting targets for each country to reduce their emissions. Each country`s contribution is known as a “nationally determined contribution” (NDC), which is reviewed and updated every five years.

The Paris Agreement also calls for countries to work together to develop and implement adaptation and resilience measures to address the impacts of climate change that are already unavoidable.

Moreover, the Paris Agreement recognizes the importance of financial and technological support from developed countries to help developing countries transition to a low-carbon economy and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

In conclusion, the Paris Agreement pre-industrial levels refer to the benchmark year against which global warming is measured, and the importance of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius above this level is crucial to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The agreement is a landmark commitment by nations worldwide to address the climate crisis, and its implementation will require cooperation and collaboration at a global level.