In December 2015, political leaders from 195 countriesattending the United Nations Climate Change Conference  (COP21) in Paris, agreed to take action to address the causes and consequences of global climate change. Specifically, they committed to keeping the rise in average global air temperature by the end of this century to "well below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels" (i.e. before 1750 and the advent of the industrial revolution). Scientists united in the European Marine Board think that this time-window reaching towards the end of this century may well be too long. Decisive actions should already be taken during the next ten years. This not only from a climatological point of view, but also from a financial point of view; it may simply be much cheaper in the end to react fast!

In the accompanying EMB Science Commentary, they argument why. As EMB member, NIOZ fully supports this message.