Joeri Rogelj

YouTube video by Grantham Imperial Net Zero: The inside story of the UK’s climate target

OUT NOW: we revisit the pivotal moment when science, institutions and politics aligned to deliver the UK’s #NetZero target. At a time of political divergence, the evidence for #ClimateAction remains clear. Evidence-based #ClimatePolicy is more relevant than ever. @granthamicl.bsky.social

YouTube video by Grantham Imperial Net Zero: The inside story of the UK’s climate target

OUT NOW: we revisit the pivotal moment when science, institutions and politics aligned to deliver the UK’s #NetZero target. At a time of political divergence, the evidence for #ClimateAction remains clear. Evidence-based #ClimatePolicy is more relevant than ever. @granthamicl.bsky.social

In this context, this forthcoming @granthamicl.bsky.social shortfilm on the UK’s net zero journey will offer a timely reflection on how science, institutions, and politics aligned to deliver evidence-based #ClimatePolicy serving the public interest. 2/2
bsky.app/profile/gran...

Next week, we reflect on how science and society shaped the UK’s #NetZero target. As political consensus wavers, the scientific evidence underpinning the need for rapid #ClimateAction remains robust and unequivocal. 1/2

Joanna Haigh seen from behind the cameras, with two members of crew either side.

Joeri Rogelj seen from behind the camera, sitting ready to interview

Theresa May ready to interview, seen from behind the camera and lighting equipment

COMING SOON…

In 2019, the UK made history as the first major economy to commit to net zero by 2050.

But, while the science hasn’t changed, political consensus is fracturing.

We can’t wait to share our new film & to tell the inside story of the UK’s climate target

Stay tuned…
👀13 October

Pope Leo hits out at critics of global warming In his first major statement on climate change, the pontiff criticises those who minimise climate change.

Pope Leo XIV has reaffirmed the imperative to act upon climate change and environmental degradation.

This firm response to climate science deniers marks the 10th anniversary of his Predecessor Pope Francis' encyclical "On Care of Our Common Home".

www.bbc.com/news/article...

The third and final day of the #OvershootConference kicked off with an insightful report-back and reflection session, where theme leads shared insights from their discussions so far.

See insights from discussions on Day 2 in the thread below:

🌍New #ERL focus collection on #climate #overshoot is open!

Linked to @iiasa.ac.at Overshoots conference in Vienna this week. ERL Publisher Lauren Carter will be attending, email to discuss a contribution: Lauren.Carter@ioppublishing.org

📅Deadline: 30 April 2026
🔗 iopscience.iop.org/collections/...

@joerirogelj.bsky.social: “The pursuit of 1.5°C endures as a legal and ethical imperative. Overshoot does not erase this goal - it makes it more urgent.”
He called overshoot a test of our generation’s responsibility.
#ScienceInAction #ParisAgreement

Despite the centrality of equity in the Paris Agreement, no framework exists to allocate responsibilities for carbon dioxide removals among countries.

A new paper, co-authored by Imperial's Professor ​@joerirogelj.bsky.social​, presents a framework for allocating CDR globally 🧵

Guest post: How the role of carbon storage has been hugely overestimated - Carbon Brief Removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is widely expected to play a key role in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

NEW – Guest post: How the role of carbon storage has been hugely overestimated | @gidden.bsky.social @joerirogelj.bsky.social

Read here: buff.ly/QY7LyJ8

A prudent planetary limit for geologic carbon storage - Nature A risk-based, spatially explicit analysis of carbon storage in sedimentary basins establishes a prudent planetary limit of around 1,460 Gt of geological carbon storage, which requires making explicit ...

The original paper in @nature.com can be found here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

In a new study, we estimate how much geological CO2 storage capacity would be available when considering social, environmental, seismic and other risks.

Lead author @gidden.bsky.social wrote an extensive 🧵on the work 👇

Yes - if we don't use any of it for fossil CCS and emit zero CO2 in the meantime.

You'll also have to tell me what's the latest on perfect reversability of global warming after overshoot though. :)

Coauthor @joerirogelj.bsky.social Rogelj, Director of Research at the Grantham Institute says:

“This study should be a gamechanger for carbon storage. It can no longer be considered an unlimited solution to bring our climate back to a safe level.

A prudent planetary limit for geologic carbon storage - Nature A risk-based, spatially explicit analysis of carbon storage in sedimentary basins establishes a prudent planetary limit of around 1,460 Gt of geological carbon storage, which requires making explicit ...

If you want to know the details, read to open source @nature.com publication, led by @gidden.bsky.social online. /end
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

CO2 removal will play a pivotal role in any future where we achieve net-zero CO2 and eventually net-zero GHG emissions. By acknowledging its scarcity and reserving it for essential and strategic uses, governments can design fairer, robust mitigation strategies that limit risks and harm. /7

The bottom line of this study connects to previous work on legal limits to the use of CO2 removal, and robust decarbonisation strategies. /6

It assumes every tonne stored CO2 was removed from the atmosphere (and not captured from fossil fuel combustion or industry sources).

And meanwhile no other CO2 emission are emitted.

0.7°C of global warming reversal is thus a clear ceiling, based on a central estimate of climate response. /5

If every single ton of this 1,460 GtCO2 would be used to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, we could reverse 0.7°C of global warming.

And this estimate is a clear ceiling, because... /4

1,460 GtCO2 (thousand four hundred sixty billion tonnes of CO2!) of practically available geological CO2 storage seems a lot, but lets translate this to its potential for reversing global warming to get a sense of magnitude. /3

This comes with important consequences for long-term climate change mitigation scenario planning.

Geological CO2 storages moves from a virtually unlimited potential to a rather scarce resource, with a central estimate of 1,460 GtCO2, globally. /2

NEW STUDY: How much CO2 can we safely store in geological formations?

In a new @nature.com study, we cross-check established academic and industry estimates with various risk factors.

We find a prudent geological CO2 storage limit that is about 10x smaller. /1

Announcement:
Climate Science and Policy Event on 9 September 2025 by @iiasa.ac.at at the @royalsociety.org

Register if you're interested in attending in person. 👇

⚖️Climate litigation is entering a new era 🌏

Thanks to attribution science, courts now have the tools to link climate impacts, such as floods, wildfires and extreme heat to major polluters — and assign legal responsibility. 🧵

📒 imperial.ac.uk/stories/polluters-on-trial

Implications of states’ dependence on carbon dioxide removal for achieving the Paris temperature goal Achieving the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal of limiting global warming well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C requires rapid and sustained reductions in greenhous...

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

New research on limits to CO2 removal (CDR). CDR is key to our ambition to stop adding climate pollution to the atmosphere. Because it's uncertain how much will be delivered and it clearly comes with risks of social & environmental side-effects, legal issues arise. This paper provides an overview. 👇

⛈️ @frediotto.bsky.social reviewed extreme weather, such as the LA wildfires, to show that climate change is outpacing adaptation efforts.

🎯 @joerirogelj.bsky.social warns that passing the 1.5°C goal only intensifies the legal & ethical obligations of the Paris Agreement.

buff.ly/dIdDn5a

The pursuit of 1.5°C endures as a legal and ethical imperative in a changing world As the world nears 1.5°C of global warming, near-term emissions reductions and adequate adaptation become ever more important to ensure a safe and livable planet for present and future generations

What becomes of the 1.5°C goal now that global warming is approaching that level?🌍🔥🌡️

In a new @science.org Policy Forum we explain how the 1.5°C goal remains a critical legal & ethical benchmark, even as the world nears and may soon exceed 1.5°C of global warming🧵1/
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

From litigation to misinformation, and COP30 to populism, our panel discussion was a lively affair.

Thank you to all of our panellists, everyone who attended the event, our co-hosts, the EU Delegation to the UK. #COP30 #CountdownToCOP30