Climate Change's Worst-Case Scenario Retired: RCP 8.5 Deemed Implausible
The climate scenario known as RCP 8.5, which projected catastrophic outcomes such as 4°C to 5°C of global warming by 2100, has been officially retired by scientists. This scenario, often referred to as 'business as usual,' was widely used in climate impact studies between 2011 and 2020 to model extreme outcomes like mass displacement, severe heat, and significant sea level rise. However, recent advancements in clean energy, declining coal use, and slower-than-expected population growth have rendered this high-emission pathway implausible. According to a paper published in Geoscientific Model Development, the scenario will no longer be included in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) upcoming Seventh Assessment Report. While this marks progress, the world is still on track for 2.8°C of warming by 2100 under current policies, which could lead to significant environmental challenges. 
