Operational extreme weather event attribution can quantify climate change loss and damages

Michael F Wehner,Kevin A Reed,Jamie Males

doi:10.1371/journal.pclm.0000013

Michael F Wehner, Kevin A Reed + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000013

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Abstract

“It is now well established that the influence of anthropogenic climate change on certain individual extreme weather events can be quantified by event attribution techniques. It is time that these activities move from the research community to the operational centers. Such routine evaluation of the human influence on extreme weather increases our scientific understanding and informs the public of climate change impacts. Furthermore, quantification of the human influence on extreme weather can be used to fairly evaluate climate change induced loss and damages”.

Highlights

The science of quantifying the influence of anthropogenic climate change on specific individual events has matured to point to be able to play a significant role in quantifying loss and damage [3]
After many extreme weather events, there usually is a demand from journalists for a climate change statement
This demand reflects a desire from the general public to understand how climate change has affected them through that event [13]. In addition to this public outreach service, extreme weather event attribution across a wide variety of similar events can lead to increased understanding of how climate change affects that class of events

Summary

Introduction

The recent Conference of Parties (COP26) decision in Glasgow, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, “acknowledges that climate change has already caused and will increasingly cause loss and damage and that, as temperatures rise, impacts from climate and weather extremes, well as slow onset events, will pose an ever-greater social, economic and environmental threat.” The Glasgow Climate Pact further “urges developed country Parties, . The science of quantifying the influence of anthropogenic climate change on specific individual events has matured to point to be able to play a significant role in quantifying loss and damage [3].

Results

Conclusion