Fossil fuel limit in climate change

A conference hosted this week by UCC will hear calls for certain fossil fuels to remain in the ground to limit future global warming.

The event on the subject of ‘unburnable carbon’ will take place on Wednesday and will feature an address by Christophe McGlade, research associate at the Institute for Sustainable Resources in University College London.

Research by that department suggests a third of oil reserves, half of gas reserves, and over 80% of current coal reserves globally should remain in the ground and not be used before 2050 if global warming is to stay below the 2°C target agreed by policymakers.