The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to well below which temperature above pre-industrial levels?

Correct answer: 2°C. The Paris Agreement aims to hold warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.

Background: Climate risks generally become more severe as global temperatures rise, which is why the 1.5°C aim matters.

• 1°C: 1°C is not the target; warming has already passed about 1°C above pre-industrial levels.
• 1.5°C only: 1.5°C is the aspirational limit pursued, but the headline goal is well below 2°C, so 'only' makes this wrong.
• 3°C: 3°C is far above the Paris limits.

Did you know? The 1.5°C figure is the 'pursue efforts' part of the goal.

Memory trick: Well below 2, pursue 1.5.