Cutting emissions enough to keep temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century could block up to 65 percent of extreme climate-change-related impacts, a new study shows.

Researchers from institutions in the United Kingdom and Germany examined a range of emissions reduction scenarios and their possible outcomes. According to their findings, published in Nature Climate Change, sharp emissions cuts now would lead to less severe impacts in flooding, crop productivity, drought, water availability and average sea-level rise by 2100.

"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions won't avoid the impacts of climate change altogether, of course, but our research shows it will buy time to make things like buildings, transport systems and agriculture more resilient to climate change," said Nigel Arnell, director of the University of Reading's Walker Institute, which led the study.

In their strictest scenario -- keeping global temperature rise to 2 degrees -- emissions would peak in 2016 and then decline at an annual rate of 5 percent to 2050.

About 190 nations are aiming to sign a deal by 2015 legally binding countries to make ambitious emissions cuts, but not before 2020.

Current emissions reduction targets are estimated to lead to a temperature rise of 4 degrees or more by 2100 (Nina Chestney, Reuters, Jan. 13). -- IP