Released in the run-up to the G8 summit, this paper explains why global average temperature rise must be kept as far below 2°C as possible (compared with pre-industrial levels). It is based on a review of evidence of the impacts at different temperature ranges.
The evidence shows how the impact on water resources, food production and ecosystems becomes catastrophic once the 2°C threshold is reached, and explains how dangerous feedback mechanisms are much more likely to kick in at this point, resulting in even faster warming.
