Just released: EU Joint Research Center report on Concepts and Metrics for Climate Change Risk and Development

European Commission  Concepts and Metrics for Climate Change Risk and Development - Towards an index for Climate Resilient Development (2014)– Scientific and Technical Research series –ISSN 1831-9424 (online) ISBN 978-92-79-36876-9

The threats posed by climate change are increasingly seen as a major problem for the future of nature and humanity, and significant improvements are needed to set the world on a climate change resilient path to the future. At global, regional and local level there is an increasing demand from both policy makers and the business sector for understanding relationships between the determinants of climate change risk (hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and adaptation) as well as metrics and policy options to deal with such a risk. Meeting this demand is fraught with difficulties due to the multitude of objectives/criteria to be considered as well as the interrelated nature of the determinants of climate change, which are dynamic and evolving over time. A fundamental link between development strategies, climate adaptation planning, and disaster risk reduction has been recognized, but not characterized. In this context, climate resilient development can be indicated as one of the political priorities at global level.  

This report reviews the main concepts and metrics used to assess and manage climate change risk within an international context, which considers climate resilient development a central issue.  

It analyses in depth five climate change indices aiming at measuring all or just a few components of climate change risk with a global coverage. The review highlights that there is no consensus on concepts and metrics for a climate change risk index.

A joint analysis of these indices identifies a common geography of the hot spot areas for climate change risk and vulnerability. Results show a consensus on the relevance  of climate change risk in developing countries.

The report highlights some open questions and gaps on conceptual frameworks, metrics, and data to build a index for climate resilient development. It identifies key issues that will  be addressed to build a platform towards an index for climate resilient development .