“Global CO2 emissions (both fossil and land use) have been relatively flat during the 13 years after 2010, and are now closer to the middle-of-the-road RCP4.5 scenario than the high-end RCP8.5 one.”
The world spent $1.1 trillion on clean energy in 2022, up from $600 billion in 2020, and coal use has stalled. That knocks RCP8.5 off its perch as the default future. Flat emissions still mean the planet keeps warming every year they stay above zero. Good news by climate standards is a slower route to the same problem.