Factcheck: Trump’s false claims about the IPCC and ‘RCP8.5’ climate scenario
President Trump made false claims regarding the RCP8.5 climate scenario, stating it was 'wrong' and misrepresenting the role of the IPCC. His comments were amplified by right-leaning media, which inaccurately reported on the IPCC's involvement with climate scenarios. The latest emissions scenarios indicate significant challenges in limiting global warming, contradicting Trump's assertions.
- ▪Trump declared the RCP8.5 emissions scenario to be 'wrong' in a social media post.
- ▪The IPCC does not develop or control climate scenarios and has not stated that any scenario is 'wrong'.
- ▪Recent projections suggest the world is on track for 2.5C to 3C of warming, which the UN has labeled as 'catastrophic'.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Among a flurry of posts on social media last weekend, US president Donald Trump declared “good riddance” to a specific emissions scenario used in global climate projections. The “RCP8.5” scenario, which envisages a future of very high carbon emissions, was “wrong, wrong, wrong”, the president wrote in block capitals. This was “just admitted” by the UN’s “top climate committee”, he falsely claimed, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The post was quickly picked up by right-leaning media, amplifying Trump’s misrepresentation of emissions scenarios and the role of the IPCC. His claim follows the publication of a new set of emissions scenarios that will feed into the next IPCC reports.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Carbon Brief.
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