Matt McGrath is an environment correspondent.
Image source, Mario TamaScientists involved in the study say a key finding in the report has been misinterpreted.
Researchers wrote in the document that greenhouse gases are projected to peak before the year 2025.
The world could still avoid dangerous warming if carbon increases for another three years.
Scientists say that emissions need to fall immediately.
The root cause of warming was the topic of the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The scientists said it was possible to keep the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C this century.
Carbon emissions need to shrink by 43% by the end of this decade to stay under this threshold of danger.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe text explains that the report becomes confusing if emissions reach a peak before they fall.
The summary states that global greenhouse gases are projected to peak between 2020 and at the latest by 2025, in global modelled pathways that limit warming to 1.5C.
The world could still stay under 1.5C, according to most media outlets.
Glen Peters, from the Centre for International Climate Research in Oslo, said that when you read the text, it gives the impression that you have to go to 2025.
It is an unfortunate choice of wording. That could potentially have some negative consequences.
The climate models that scientists use to project temperatures work in five-year blocs, so the years in between are not included.
"Because models work on 5-year increments, we can't derive statements with higher precision." said Dr Joeri Rogelj, from Imperial College London, and a lead author.
When you look at the scientific data supporting this headline, it becomes clear that any scenario in line with 1.5C will drop emissions from 2020 to 2025. This is the case even for scenarios that limit warming to 2C.
Image source, Getty ImagesTiming was an issue.
The information used in the report came from models that projected peaking in 2020.
The headline statement couldn't say emissions should have peaked already, and the governments wouldn't allow the report to say so, according to Dr Edward Byers.
During the two week approval session between the scientists and government officials, there was a lengthy debate over the exact words to use.
There were many discussions about whether words such as "now" or "immediately" could be used.
Some people were concerned that this would soon be out of date. If the report was read in the future, it doesn't mean anything.
Image source, Getty ImagesI don't agree with that so I think it would have been better to say immediately.
The more simplified media reports of climate change events are more influential than the science.
Observers argue that giving countries the impression that emissions can continue to grow until the year 2025.
Kaisa Kosonen from Greenpeace said that they don't have the luxury of letting emissions grow for another three years.
We have eight years to reduce global emissions. The task is still doable, but if people start chasing emissions peak by 2025, we don't have a chance.
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