For a short period of time, the «carbon budget» was a useful way of communicating how little carbon we have left to emit if we want to stay within the 1.5 degree target of the Paris agreement. However, climate scientist Zeke Hausfather argues that «its time to start talking about the carbon debt» instead. «The amount of carbon that will have to be removed by our children and future generations if we ever want to return to the climate of our past.» And here’s the price tag: «For every 0.1 degree celsius we want to cool the climate after we get to zero emissions, we will have to pay around $22 trillion.»

From Weekly Filet #506, in November 2024.