Doomsayers and hopemongers alike may need to revise their climate predictions after a study that almost rules out the most optimistic forecasts for global heating while downplaying the likelihood of worst-case scenarios.
The international team of scientists involved in the research say they have narrowed the range of probable climate outcomes, which reduces the uncertainty that has long plagued public debate about this field.
Their increased confidence about the sensitivity of the climate should ease the job of policymakers and diminish the scope for scepticism but it is far from reassuring for the future of the planet.