Rise and Fall of a Global Symbol: Frames of the 2-degree limit in German News Media 2009-2014

Mass media are considered to be a forum for the formation of public opinion on climate politics and an important influencing factor for political decision-making. Against this background, this paper deals with the 2-degree limit, the international political objective to keep global warming below 2 degrees, and analyses the representation and interpretation of the issue in German media during the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009 (COP 15) and in the following years until 2014. It asks how the debate on 2 degree has developed during the Post-Copenhagen era, which public speakers and frames are shaping the debate, and how the discourse has changed over time. Based on a content analysis of 10 print and online media outlets from 2009 to 2014, the study establishes the following findings: 1) the 2-degree limit was most prominently discussed during COP 15 but then lost media attention; 2) an interplay of media attention and political engagement seems to influence the decreasing attention for 2 degree and thus the development of the debate in German media; 3) the accessibility of the 2-degree limit is the dominant frame in mass media reporting and addresses potential measures to keep global warming below 2 degrees and possible consequences in case of failure.