Abstract

The ongoing exhaustion of fossil fuels places a limit to the total amount of anthropogenic CO2 that will be emitted into the atmosphere and therefore constraints future global warming. Here we assess the implications of fossil fuels depletion on future changes of atmospheric CO2 concentration and global-mean temperature. We find that, despite the exhaustion of fossil fuels, future global warming will likely reach a dangerous level. Deliberate actions aiming at emissions reduction are needed to avoid dangerous climate change.