Where do we stand on climate protection? Who can we learn from? Why are climate change deniers winning elections? And is there any good news? Climate economist and new chair of Welthaus, Karl Steininger, in interview.

In the Paris Agreement, 195 states agreed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels if at all possible. According to the Wegener Center, we exceeded that target for the first time last year, reaching 1.62 degrees. Things aren't looking great, are they?

KARL STEININGER: With current policies, we're on track globally for 3.1 degrees. If all the pledges made worldwide in the context of the Paris Agreement are kept, that figure drops to 2.6 degrees. Even the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees is dramatic: the share of the world's population affected by extreme heatwaves rises from 14 to 37 per cent. That has direct health consequences, but also leads to drastically altered food availability.

Read the full interview at: graz.welthaus.at

ABOUT THE PERSON

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Karl W. Steininger has been chair of the board of trustees of Welthaus Graz since 1 November 2024. Steininger is Professor of Climate Economics and Sustainable Transition and Director of the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change at the University of Graz. His research focuses on the economic impacts of climate change, and in particular on emissions reduction options in a globally interconnected world. He advises research institutions, international organisations, and policymakers.