Paleobiologist Wolfgang Kießling criticizes climate policy

Wolfgang Kießling, a paleobiologist at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen and former IPCC member, has issued a sharp critique of current climate policies, describing them as “half-hearted.” He warned that the 1.5-degree Celsius limit set by the Paris Agreement is likely no longer achievable.

Kießling noted that if current climate protection measures are implemented, the world is on track for approximately 2.8 degrees of warming by the end of the century. He emphasized that economic interests are being prioritized over climate protection, despite the significantly higher long-term costs of climate change.

The scientist highlighted that a two-degree increase could lead to the global collapse of coastal ecosystems like coral reefs, which serve as vital coastal protection and support fish stocks relied upon by roughly 500 million people. He further noted that while historical climate shifts were often regional, current warming is a global phenomenon driven entirely by human activity.