Sea level rise could cost Europe billions in economic losses, study finds
CBSN
Some regions of Europe could see "devastating" economic losses in the coming decades due to the rising oceans, researchers say. A new study found that under the worst-case scenario for emissions and sea level rise, the European Union and United Kingdom could lose 872 billion Euros (about $950 billion) by the end of this century, with many regions within them suffering GDP losses between 10% and 21%.
The study, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, analyzed the economic impacts of sea level rise for 271 European regions. Researchers conducted their analysis based on estimates of high greenhouse gas emissions, which drive global temperature increases, a process that causes sea levels to rise. For the study, they also based their findings on there being no new coastal protection measures beyond 2015, though countries could take action to lessen the impact.
What they found was that the EU and U.K. — both of which are among the 12 biggest contributors to the global trade of goods, according to the EU — would lose a combined 1.26% of their GDP, about $950 billion. But researchers said that even more critical is the loss that could be suffered by smaller locales, especially coastal areas within them.
