Publication Abstracts

DeFries et al. 2019

DeFries, R., O. Edenhofer, A. Halliday, G. Heal, T. Lenton, M. Puma, J. Rising, J. Rockström, A.C. Ruane, H.J. Schellnhuber, D. Stainforth, N. Stern, M. Tedesco, and B. Ward, 2019: The Missing Economic Risks in Assessments of Climate Change Impacts. Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, doi:10.7916/d8-6f8h-md45.

As the fifth anniversary of the finalisation of the United Nations Paris Agreement approaches, and countries explore how to increase the ambition of their pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their nationally determined contributions, political and business leaders across the world are formulating and assessing strategies for action on climate change. In order to make well-informed decisions, leaders need to understand clearly the nature and magnitude of the risks to lives and livelihoods that are being created by climate change.

Unfortunately, much of the technical advice and recommendations that leaders have been receiving about these risks incorporate assessments of the economic implications that omit or underplay the largest potential impacts of climate change. Indeed, economic assessments of climate change impacts currently fail to convey the scale and magnitude of what is at stake for the lives and livelihoods of individuals, infrastructures, Indigenous Peoples and critical ecosystems.

This policy insight seeks to draw attention to these missing and under-represented risks by identifying some of the most important future risks that are typically missing from economic assessments. We also discuss how populations might fare in light of their potential to adapt in the face of these risks.

When the risks are taken into account, the case for strong, deliberate and urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions becomes even more compelling.

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BibTeX Citation

@misc{de01800d,
  author={DeFries, R. and Edenhofer, O. and Halliday, A. and Heal, G. and Lenton, T. and Puma, M. and Rising, J. and Rockström, J. and Ruane, A. C. and Schellnhuber, H. J. and Stainforth, D. and Stern, N. and Tedesco, M. and Ward, B.},
  title={The Missing Economic Risks in Assessments of Climate Change Impacts},
  year={2019},
  publisher={Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment},
  address={London},
  doi={10.7916/d8-6f8h-md45},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - RPRT
ID  - de01800d
AU  - DeFries, R.
AU  - Edenhofer, O.
AU  - Halliday, A.
AU  - Heal, G.
AU  - Lenton, T.
AU  - Puma, M.
AU  - Rising, J.
AU  - Rockström, J.
AU  - Ruane, A. C.
AU  - Schellnhuber, H. J.
AU  - Stainforth, D.
AU  - Stern, N.
AU  - Tedesco, M.
AU  - Ward, B.
PY  - 2019
BT  - The Missing Economic Risks in Assessments of Climate Change Impacts
DO  - 10.7916/d8-6f8h-md45
PB  - Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
CY  - London
ER  -

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