- Economic models have underestimated the impact of global heating on wealth, with 4C warming potentially making the average person 40% poorer.
- Even 2C warming could reduce global average GDP per person by 16%, much higher than previous estimates of 1.4%.
- Current models fail to account for extreme weather events and their cascading effects on global supply chains.
- Enhanced economic models show catastrophic impacts of 4C warming, contrasting with older models that predicted modest effects.
- Extreme weather events, not average temperature changes, are the primary disruptors of economic stability.
- Global economies are interconnected; climate impacts in one region affect trade and supply chains worldwide.
- Traditional economic models assume displaced activities (e.g., agriculture) can be compensated elsewhere, ignoring real-world interdependencies.
- Previous risk assessments overlooked tipping points, extreme events, migration, and geopolitical risks, leading to flawed conclusions.
- The economic benefits of urgent climate action have been significantly understated due to inadequate modeling.
- Experts warn that the actual economic impacts of climate change could be even worse than current predictions.