How various warming scenarios could affect sea levels

Global mean sea level change, relative to 1900, under CO2 emissions scenarios within shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs)

Sustainability (SSP1)

Middle of the road (SSP2)

Regional rivalry (SSP3)

Inequality (SSP4)

Fossil fuel development (SSP5)

2 metres

1.5

Worst-case outcome, including

ice-sheet instability processes, under

fossil fuel development scenario

1

0.5

0

1960

1980

2000

2020

2040

2060

2080

2100

Global mean sea level change, relative to 1900, under CO2 emissions within various hypothetical socioeconomic futures

Sustainability (SSP1)

Middle of the road (SSP2)

Regional rivalry (SSP3)

Inequality (SSP4)

Fossil fuel development (SSP5)

2 metres

Worst-case outcome, including

ice-sheet instability processes, under

fossil fuel development scenario

1.5

1

0.5

0

1960

1980

2000

2020

2040

2060

2080

2100

Guardian graphic. Source: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Note: scenarios are visions of future human development, ranging from optimistic or positive, where the environment is taken into account, to pessimistic, where development is based on fossil fuel development