Analysis shows at least $2.8tn in damage from 2000 to 2019 through worsened storms, floods and heatwaves
The damage caused by the climate crisis through extreme weather has cost $16m (£13m) an hour for the past 20 years, according to a new estimate.
Storms, floods, heatwaves and droughts have taken many lives and destroyed swathes of property in recent decades, with global heating making the events more frequent and intense. The study is the first to calculate a global figure for the increased costs directly attributable to human-caused global heating.
It found average costs of $140bn (£115bn) a year from 2000 to 2019, although the figure varies significantly from year to year. The latest data shows $280bn in costs in 2022. The researchers said lack of data, particularly in low-income countries, meant the figures were likely to be seriously underestimated. Additional climate costs, such as from crop yield declines and sea level rise, were also not included.
Not the point of the post, but I was part of evacuating a camp that burned in that fire pictured above. All the infrastructure is just toast. It’s all gone. We were sitting underneath the huge plume of smoke. We had to evacuate North through Vernon and it was crazy coming back South into Kelowna in the night and seeing the extent of the flames across the lake.