DARA (2012), Climate Vulnerability Monitor
DARA and the Climate Vulnerable Forum have published an updated edition of their Climate Vulnerability Monitor. It provides an assessment of the “human and economic costs of the climate crisis.” The headline numbers are pretty staggering:
“Climate change is already contributing to the deaths of nearly 400,000 people a year and costing the world more than $1.2 trillion, wiping 1.6% annually from global GDP” (Harvey, 2012)
The report is extensive (311 pages) and draws on a wide range of scientific research. As with the 2006 Stern Review, failure to act to mitigate climate change (and carbon dependence) has an economic and a societal cost. However, we are running out of time to have a chance at addressing this. The Monitor cites the IEA’s view that “just five years remain for the world’s major economies to enact structural economic transformations in order to break out of a dead-end business-as-usual trap” (DARA, 2012:15). However, given the lack of international agreement at the last few climate summits, it’s not apparent to me how this will emerge.
I’ve only skimmed the Exec Summary so far (it’s a huge report), but the case made looks compelling.
