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On the 22nd local time, the World Meteorological Organization and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's climate monitoring agency, jointly released the "State of the European Climate Report". Extreme weather due to climate change continues to affect the whole of Europe, which experienced widespread flooding and severe heat waves in 2023, with weather- and climate-related economic losses in Europe estimated to exceed €13.4 billion in 2023, the report noted. What are the global economic costs of climate change, and what are the current countermeasures being taken around the world?
According to a recent study published in the leading international academic journal Nature, extreme weather events, including record heat, severe flooding and wildfires, are expected to reduce global income by about 19% over the next 26 years.
In an interview with CNN, Noah Dieffenbaf, a climatologist at Stanford University in the United States, pointed out that the direct impact of extreme weather is that people have to pay high repair costs for damaged property, in addition to the impact of high temperatures on the agricultural industry and labor productivity. The latest study in the journal Nature quantifies the economic damage, with researchers estimating that the global economy could have to pay $6 trillion to comply with the Paris climate agreement, and that the economic damage due to climate change could reach $38 trillion. This means that the economic cost of global efforts to curb climate change is much smaller than the economic cost of climate change.
The study also notes that the economic losses from climate change are unevenly impacted around the world, with poorer countries being hit harder. Now the world is also stepping up investment and green transition-related projects, Singapore's Temasek's chief investment officer told CNBC that he sees many pressing needs in the climate space.
SIO ROHIT SIPAHIMANI, Temasek Singapore: We're seeing more and more climate crises, more hurricanes, more extreme weather, pollution, that's impacting people's lives. Policymakers are being asked to make changes.
Late last year, the United Nations also led a study to explain how artificial intelligence can help humanity combat climate change. The results show that AI can contribute to a variety of aspects, including predicting disasters, tracking pollution, and optimizing power grids. For example, in forecasting, the United Nations has used apps to help Kenyan herders better plan and manage grazing times by sending data from weather stations and satellites around the world to their mobile phones.
In addition, the American software company Saifuse also mentioned in an interview with CNBC that it has launched a net-zero cloud service to help customers cope with emission reductions and other environmental requirements through AI's tracking and prediction capabilities.
Tim Christopherson, Vice President, Climate Change, SAFTSE USA: Net Zero Cloud not only helps customers measure and track their carbon emissions, but also helps them identify where and what methods they can take to reduce emissions the fastest, and that's through AI's forecasting capabilities.
Many cities around the world have now set up the position of "Chief Heat Officer", including Miami in the United States, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Melbourne in Australia. This new position is dedicated to helping residents cope with the challenges of high temperatures, including solving the burden of personal electricity bills, adding various cooling facilities in the city, and some creative practices, such as partnering with Internet companies to create shady routes in the city.
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Intern Editor: Carrie To