Scenarios for average global warming between now and 2100 depend largely on the emissions scenarios considered. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which assists the United Nations in scientific matters, estimates that the average increase in the earth’s surface temperature by 2100 compared with the period 1986-2005 will vary from 0.3 to 1.7°C for the most ambitious emission reduction scenarios, and from 2.6 to 4.8°C for the least ambitious scenarios (note: 0.6°C must be added to refer to the period 1850-1900).
The figures are eloquent, and to find an average temperature 2°C higher than today’s, we need to go back 2 million years. The average increase predicted by the IPCC (whatever the emission scenario) will therefore undoubtedly have an impact on our planet and on mankind.
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