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Carbon dioxide emissions would need to reach net zero by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of climate change

To avoid the most dangerous and irreversible effects of climate change, the world would need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. That means carbon emissions would need to reach net zero by 2050, a significant deviation from the path we’re on now.

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To explore the interactive, see “The 1.5-degree challenge,” September 16, 2020.