Almost nine out of ten WWViews participants view 2 degrees Celsius as a maximum acceptable goal for temperature increase. Half of the participants even want to limit the increase to the current level or return to the pre-industrial level

OBSERVATIONS

• 88% of WWViews participants want to limit the increase in world temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius or less above pre-industrial levels.

• Only 4% are willing to accept an increase of above 2 degrees, even fewer feel that a target is unnecessary.

• Half of the participants want to keep temperature increase to the current level or even bring temperatures down to the pre-industrial level.

ASSESSMENTS

The majority of participants appear to have a lower tolerance for temperature increases than most policy makers.

The overwhelming worldwide support among participants for limiting, stopping and even reversing temperature increase is reinforced by their support for high greenhouse gas reduction targets. Hence, the WWViews participants give their COP15 negotiators a strong mandate for seeking to limit the increase in global temperatures.

It is noteworthy that some of the countries with the highest level of support for a return to a preindustrial temperature level are Malawi (48 %), Egypt (39 %), Mali (33 %) and the Maldives (32%). These are countries projected to be hard hit by the consequences of climate change.