Global economic growth could plummet by 50% between 2070 and 2090 from the catastrophic shocks of climate change unless immediate action by political leaders is taken to decarbonise and restore nature, according to a new report.

The stark warning from risk management experts the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) hugely increases the estimate of risk to global economic wellbeing from climate change impacts such as fires, flooding, droughts, temperature rises and nature breakdown. In a report with scientists at the University of Exeter, published on Thursday, the IFoA, which uses maths and statistics to analyse financial risk for businesses and governments, called for accelerated action by political leaders to tackle the climate crisis.

Their report was published after data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) showed climate breakdown drove the annual global temperature above the internationally agreed 1.5C target for the first time in 2024, supercharging extreme weather.

  • @TingoTenga
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    8 hours ago

    The argument that climate catastrophe can’t sustain enough economic growth seems like it’s missing the forest for the trees.

    • @SoftTeeth
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      34 hours ago

      *bet they won’t stop corporations from selling meat though

      No amount of personal choices will fix systemic issues, if meat is legally sold and easily accessible then people who are allowed to buy it will.

      • atro_city
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        -22 hours ago

        “Stop selling such tasty meat! I have to eat it all!”

    • @WhatAmLemmy
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      9 hours ago

      All of our modeling doesn’t account for enormous (potentially catastrophic) confounding and compounding variables which are too hard to estimate because we have a rudimentary understanding of the system. One example is the fact forests have already stopped absorbing carbon (something all our climate goals depended on).

      What I’m saying is that the 2070-2090 window will in reality probably end up starting in 2030 or 2040. Remember, we weren’t supposed to exceed 1.5c for another 10-15 years, but we’re already there. At the end of the day we’re talking chimps attempting to understand a system many orders of magnitude more complex than we’re capable of understanding anytime soon… and our entire civilization is structured around the thing causing its own destruction.

      • Riddick3001
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        6 hours ago

        and our entire civilization is structured around the thing causing its own destruction.

        Very well summarised.

        Note: The title was just corrected. It’s 50% of GDP not growth.

        According to this report, 50% fall of WORLD GDP because climatic catastrophes means, no food, water, medicine,infrastructure, help, nothing. Society breaks dow , totally.

        And you get famine, thirst, diseases, wars, and many millions or billions deaths.

        Important note: it’s just a report, an Important one though,if correct. These are (educated) predictions, but nonetheless, just that.

    • atro_city
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      111 hours ago

      Yeah, fuck your children and their offspring! Come to think about it, fuck the next generations, they deserve the climate wars, amirite?

      • @[email protected]
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        09 hours ago

        Yeah! Lets pretend that we have some idea what’s going to happen with fucking eCoNOmY in 50 years when there is high probability of new world war in the next 5. Better act concerned fast! Spare me with your good citizen bullying mate.

  • atro_city
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    411 hours ago

    Consumers: doesn’t matter, have to buy that new gadgets the influencer told me to buy!

    Companies: doesn’t matter if the products are being bought, will continue to pollute, baby!

    Both: why should I change my ways?

    • @SlopppyEngineer
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      410 hours ago

      Banks: middle to long term loan? Very high interest rate or just not available.

      Government: don’t look at us, budget cuts

      Companies: panic

      • @FourPacketsOfPeanuts
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        16 hours ago

        Influencers: extra smiles and bullshit as the noise of societal decay grows louder outside

    • @delaunayisation
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      29 hours ago

      It pisses me off when people go with the “it’s really about the super rich and nothing I do has any impact” while meat production alone is ~20% of emissions, depending on the model for the impact of methane.

      • @[email protected]
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        46 hours ago

        It is about the super rich. It’s not correct that nothing ordinary people do has any impact, but the impact of one day of my life vs one day of Taylor Swift’s life differs by multiple orders of magnitude.

      • @FourPacketsOfPeanuts
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        16 hours ago

        As a die hard meat eater and frequent mocker of vegetarians and vegans over the years (not defending that), I have to say meat free food is getting pretty damn delicious…

  • @BilboBargains
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    313 hours ago

    That growth is disproportionately benefiting the ultra wealthy so this is good news. I’m sure they will change their ways and not retreat to their NZ bunkers.

    • @[email protected]
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      5 hours ago

      I have every reason to think the wealthy will not bear the brunt of this. It’s going to be the working poor turning into the dying poor.