The Business as Usual Trajectory

This chapter discusses the objective of limiting the temperature increase to less than 2 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial level. The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system in order to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner. Despite the stated goal, greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase steadily and rapidly, and one billion tons of CO2 has been added to the atmosphere from the year 2000 to 2010. The professor shows a graph that divides the types of greenhouse gases coming from different sources, and shows that since 1970, there has been an increase in CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial industrial processes, contributing about 78% of the total greenhouse gas emissions since 1970. The emissions come mainly from the energy sector, then from the industry, transport, and building sectors. Population growth and economic growth have had an effect on the increase in emissions. Since 1970, the carbon intensity of energy has also decreased, so that the carbon content of energy is increasing. The two-degree limit corresponds to 450 parts per million of CO2 equivalent in the atmosphere, which could occur as soon as 2030. This video is part of the module The 2-Degree Limit.

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