Sea level rise: Five Nations are the biggest sinners

The current climate protection commitments from governments around the world are not enough, according to a study, the sea level rise to stop. Even if the countries held in the period from 2016 to 2030 the objectives of the Paris climate agreement, this would cause the sea level to the year 2300, a 20-centimeter rise. This emerges from a new study published on Monday in the journal "PNAS".

The authors called for improvements to the climate protection commitments. To limit "the long-term sea-level rise, it is crucial that the climate plans of the countries will be improved and the efforts to reduce emissions are strengthened," said study co-author Johannes Gütschow, Potsdam Institute for climate impact research.

a higher rise?

The researchers calculated in the study that more than half of the expected sea level would be due to the increase of the five largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions: China, USA, EU, India and Russia.

On account of these countries, 12 of the 20 centimeters of the expected increase would go - and this in the event that you fail to comply with the climate objectives of the Paris agreements until 2030. These are missed, it could result in an even higher increase in the oceans.

the study by researchers of Climate Analytics in Berlin and Potsdam, was Created-Institute for climate impact research (PIK). It shows according to the authors, for the first time, the concrete effects of the previously agreed projects of the individual countries to reduce emissions in the framework of the Paris climate agreement, with a view to the longer-term sea-level rise.

long-term impact of today's emissions

"Our results show that What we do today will have a major influence up to the year 2300," said lead author Alexander Nauels of Climate Analytics. "20 centimeters are not a small number, this corresponds roughly to the so far, in the entire 20. Century observed sea-level rise."

By the slow pace, the ocean, the ice sheets and glaciers respond to global warming, "unfold the true consequences of our emissions for sea-level rise over centuries," he warned. "The more carbon emissions are now released, the stronger we also determine already the sea level rise in the future."

With the rising sea level is also the risk of more frequent and stronger Floods rise, the scientists said. The could have for many coastal and island communities with devastating impact.

"Our results show clearly that our present-day emissions will inevitably lead to the fact that the seas rise up far into the future," said Co-author Carl-Friedrich Schleussner Climate Analytics. "This process does not turn back, he is our legacy for humanity." (fal/sda)

Created: 04.11.2019, 21:07 PM