Managing Climate Risk

Stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at a safe level is a paradigm that the scientific andpolicy communities have widely adopted for addressing the problem of climate change. However, aiming to stabilize concentrations at a single target level might not be a robust strate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2001-10, Vol.294 (5543), p.786-787
Main Authors: Obersteiner, M., Ch. Azar, Kauppi, P., Möllersten, K., Moreira, J., Nilsson, S., Read, P., Riahi, K., Schlamadinger, B., Yamagata, Y., Yan, J., J.-P. van Ypersele
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
abrupt climate change
BECCS
Bioenergy
Carbon dioxide emissions
Carbon dioxide removal
Climate change
Climate change policy
Climate crisis
International environmental cooperation
Letters
negative emission technologies
risk management
Structural basins
Technology
UNFCCC
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Summary:Stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at a safe level is a paradigm that the scientific andpolicy communities have widely adopted for addressing the problem of climate change. However, aiming to stabilize concentrations at a single target level might not be a robust strategy, given that the environment is extremely uncertain. The availability of technological options for adaptation, preventive mitigation, and backstop risk measures will be critical for limiting the risks associated with climate change. Technologies that can rapidly remove GHGs from the atmosphere will play an important role. Terrestrial sinks are limited by land requirements and saturation, and concerns about permanence limit their attractiveness. Biomass energy can be used both to produce carbon neutral energy carriers, e.g., electricity and hydrogen, and at the same time offer a permanent CO2 sink by capturing carbon from the biomass at the conversion facility and permanently storing it in geological formations. It is concluded that a system of climate risk management is practicable and necessary. Increasing deployment of sustainable bioenergy with carbon removal and sequestration, together with structural shift toward low carbon-intensive fuels, will turn out to be instrumental for such a risk-limiting regime.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.294.5543.786b