Author: Andrew Cameron

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The Economic Impact of Climate Inaction

The climate mitigation actions proposed in this website will be expensive, no question about it. However, the economic cost of inaction will be infinitely higher.

A 2015 five-year, peer-reviewed analysis by the EPA titled Climate Change in the United States: Benefits of Global Action concluded that inaction on curbing greenhouse gases would cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars.

“For nearly all sectors analyzed, global greenhouse gas mitigation is projected to prevent or substantially reduce adverse impacts in the U.S. this century compared to a future without emission reduc­tions. For many sectors, the projected benefits of mitigation are substantial; for example, in 2100 mitigation is projected to result in cost savings of $4.2-$7.4 billion associated with avoided road maintenance,” the report notes.

“Decisions we make today can have long-term effects, and delaying action will  increase the risks of significant and costly impacts in the future,” the EPA said.

Fortunately, global greenhouse gas mitigation presents new economic opportunities and profit potentials that far outweigh the “risks” associated with investing in a sustainable future. In fact, climate inaction is the biggest risk imaginable. It is the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with our children and our grandchildren. In a word, it is unconscionable!