On the representation of impact in integrated assessment models of climate change

An overview of attempts to represent climate change impact in over twenty integrated assessment models (IAMs) of climate change critically compares modeling solutions, discusses alternatives and outlines important areas for improvement.

Abstract

The paper provides an overview of attempts to represent climate change impact in over twenty integrated assessment models (IAMs) of climate change. Focusing on policy optimization IAMs, the paper critically compares modeling solutions, discusses alternatives and outlines important areas for improvement. Perhaps the most crucial area of improvement concerns the dynamic representation of impact, where more credible functional forms need to be developed to express time‐dependent damage as a function of changing socio‐economic circumstances, vulnerability, degree of adaptation, and the speed as well as the absolute level of climate change.