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Limiting the rise in global temperatures as a result of climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Many other problems, such as climate-related causes of flight and rising sea levels, are closely linked to climate change. The main reason for climate change is the man-made greenhouse effect. Climate change is significantly influenced by the emission of climate-damaging substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4). These act in the earth's atmosphere like the panes of a greenhouse and allow the short-wave, energy-intensive solar radiation to reach the earth's surface. However, the long-wave heat radiated from the earth is reflected and thus leads to warming.

CO2 emissions since industrialisation are the main cause of the man-made greenhouse effect. In order to limit the global rise in temperature to well below 2° in line with the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement, only a certain amount of CO2 may be released into the atmosphere. According to calculations by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), only 720 gigatonnes of CO2 may be released into the atmosphere to meet the 2° target (as at 1 January 2018). If the current annual emissions of around 40 gigatonnes continue worldwide, the time until the permitted CO2 budget is exceeded can be calculated from this. For the targeted 1.5° scenario, the countdown is already running out in September of this year.