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SEI report

Accounting for risk and uncertainty in climate policy assessment

Frank Ackerman, Elizabeth A. Stanton / Published on 1 June 2011
Citation

Ackerman, F.; Stanton, E.A.; Chalabi, Z.; Mechler, R.; Scrieciu, S.; Cheung, W.; Belton, V. (2011). Accounting for risk and uncertainty in climate policy assessment. Additional guidance supporting UNEP's MCA4climate initiative: A practical framework for planning pro-development climate policies.

Accounting

Accounting

Problems of risk and uncertainty arise throughout the assessment of climate change and the development of climate policy. Both the climate system and the economic system are characterized by long time lags and complex causal connections; over long periods of time, both climate and economic outcomes are necessarily uncertain.

This paper clarifies the meaning of the terms “risk” and “uncertainty”, looks at options for policy-makers, and recommends approaches to the two issues in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

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SEI authors

Topics and subtopics
Climate : Adaptation, Climate policy, Mitigation
Related centres
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