What does climate science mean for Australia’s coal?
Analysis prepared by researchers at the University College London and published in academic journal Nature in 2021 shows that 95% of known Australian coal reserves must stay in the ground for a 50% chance of meeting the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to safer levels of 1.5°C.
A few degrees of warming is incredibly significant. This resource from the Climate Council shows the difference in impacts at 1.5°C and 2°C of warming. While 1.5°C will be tough, 2°C is significantly worse on all measures.
The impacts that we are experiencing now at around a 1.1°C rise in average temperature are forerunners of rapidly escalating risks as global temperatures rise towards 2°C and beyond. Time is rapidly running out for humanity to avoid the extremely serious risks of a 2°C or warmer world.
Every fraction of a degree of warming that we can prevent will protect lives and livelihoods for generations to come. That’s why it’s so important we keep Australia’s coal in the ground.
