Two degrees of separation - How the climate bill targets fail the poor

The past 12 months have seen a significant change in the understanding of climate change. The legislative response from the UK government has been widely welcomed. However, the bill has been criticised for not reflecting the latest climate change science. The government is committed to keeping the average global temperature increase to below 2°C on pre-industrial levels. Yet the proposed emissions reduction target (60 per cent by 2050) is more likely to result in a 4°C; a gap that could have disastrous consequences for millions of people in the developing world. Based on the latest science, this briefing presents a picture of what the government’s proposed targets are likely to mean in practice for people at the sharp end of global warming.