Compliance with climate targets is cheaper in the long term
The year 2022 has only just begun and we are already facing major challenges. Hopefully the coronavirus pandemic will turn into an endemic, but there are still tasks on the to-do list of the global community. Another point this year is the advancing climate change. A lot has to happen in this decade to prevent the worst consequences by 2100.
When taking measures against the emission of further greenhouse gases or defining legal frameworks, one thing naturally plays a decisive role: money. Because change can usually only be promoted if it also appears lucrative. Several studies have already dealt with this simple fact and compared the costs of adhering to the 2 degree Celsius target compared to the costs that would arise if one wanted to return to the 2 degree mark afterwards.
The result is hardly surprising. If we do everything right and achieve sustainability goals that limit warming to just 2 degrees, then that is not only cheaper, but also fairer for future generations. Because reversing the rise in temperature costs significantly more and is not always that easy.
This refers to the tipping points in our ecosystem that could result in irreversible change [1]. Limiting the rise in temperature and not exceeding the resulting tipping points could pay off as early as 2080. By 2100, the gross domestic product in the various nations of the world could even be 2 percent higher than if we continued as before.
Although GDP growth is higher in the short term if we continue to do business as we do today, this could take revenge in the long term. That is why researchers are urging that we all achieve climate neutrality between 2045 and 2065, currently emissions are many times higher, we are not getting any closer to this goal.
Measures planned by 2030 should be reconsidered and tightened again. Although this may bring less growth and higher cost of living in the short term, it guarantees in the long term that we will still be able to maintain our standard of living in 50 years’ time.
Via Ars Technica
