Cost of climate change: what we’ll pay if global warming continues unchecked

This report focuses on a “business-as-usual” future in which the world continues to emit heat-trapping gases at an increasing rate. We base our economic projections on the most pessimistic of the business-as-usual climate forecasts considered “likely” by the scientific community. In this projected climate future, which is still far from the worst case scenario, global warming causes drastic changes to the planet’s climate, with average temperature increases of 13 degrees Fahrenheit in most of the United States and 18 degrees Fahrenheit in Alaska over the next 100 years. The effects of climate change will be felt in the form of more severe heat waves, hurricanes, droughts, and other erratic weather events - and in their impact on our economy’s bottom line.