Swiss insurance company says global economy could be trimmed by $23 trillion by 2050 due to climate change

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,511
8,103
136
Yes, I believe climate change is the number one issue. Everything gets worse if the planet becomes virtually unliveable.

Shilling for the New York Times again (my only relation to them is that I pay for a subscription)... here's the beginning of feature article in online NYT right now:

By Christopher Flavelle
April 22, 2021Updated 10:10 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Rising temperatures are likely to reduce global wealth significantly by 2050, as crop yields fall, disease spreads and rising seas consume coastal cities, a major insurance company warned Thursday, highlighting the consequences if the world fails to quickly slow the use of fossil fuels.
The effects of climate change can be expected to shave 11 percent to 14 percent off global economic output by 2050 compared with growth levels without climate change, according to a report from Swiss Re, one of the world’s largest providers of insurance to other insurance companies. That amounts to as much as $23 trillion in reduced annual global economic output worldwide as a result of climate change.
Some Asian nations could have one-third less wealth than would otherwise be the case, the company said. “Our analysis shows the potential costs that economies could face should governments fail to act more decisively on climate,” said Patrick Saner, who is in charge of global macroeconomic forecasts for Swiss Re.
The projections come as world leaders gather Thursday and Friday for a virtual climate summit in Washington hosted by President Biden, who has urged countries to do more to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Biden is expected to pledge to cut the United States’ emissions by about half by 2030.
The new report makes clear the stakes involved in those negotiations.

For poorer nations, which tend to be more exposed to warmer temperatures but have less ability to adapt their infrastructure and economies in response, the consequences would be far more dire.

Even if the increase in global temperature is held to two degrees Celsius, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand would each see economic growth 20 percent below what they could otherwise expect by 2050, Swiss Re estimated. At 2.6 degrees, each country would have one-third less wealth than would otherwise be the case.

And that’s not the worst-case scenario. Swiss Re also modeled the economic impacts of a 3.2-degree increase by 2050, which it described as the “severe case” for temperature gains.
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
37,511
8,103
136
There is absolutely no inevitability as long as there is a willingness to contemplate what is happening.
- The Medium is the Message
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,229
14,923
136
Now just for fun, calculate how much the economy would grow if everyone went 100% full on in attacking climate change.