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Handbook of Climate Change and Biodiversity pp 135–149Cite as

Implications for Biodiversity of Potentially Committed Global Climate Change (from Science and Policy)

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Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

Climate change impacts on biodiversity that are observed today are substantially less than those predictable in the future. Vital policy-relevant information regarding global climate change and biodiversity includes the sources of increased future global warming commitment, which stem from both climate change policy and climate science. Full, long-term (over many 100s of years) equilibrium global warming commitment, calculated by the constant atmospheric greenhouse gas composition, is put at ‘about 2 °C’ by the IPCC 2014 assessment. Significant further committed warming at 2 °C is expected due to weakened terrestrial carbon sinks and large planetary sources of carbon feedback emissions. Committed climate change due to policy is calculated from national emissions targets. Together these policy targets lead to over 3 °C global warming by 2100, which will increase much more after 2100. Commitment clearly shows the climate, oceans and biodiversity global emergency, requiring the immediate decline of emissions with supporting responses that are well known and universally recommended.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate Emergency Institute, 4708 Captains Crescent, Pender Island, BC, V0N 2M2, Canada

    Peter D. Carter

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  1. Peter D. Carter
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Correspondence to Peter D. Carter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. International Climate Change Information and Research Programme, Hamburg, Germany

    Jelena Barbir

  3. School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

    Richard Preziosi

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Carter, P.D. (2019). Implications for Biodiversity of Potentially Committed Global Climate Change (from Science and Policy). In: Leal Filho, W., Barbir, J., Preziosi, R. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change and Biodiversity. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98681-4_8

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