Figure SPM-2 - Reasons for Concern
Risks per Degree of Climate Change
Figure SPM-2: Reasons for concern about projected climate change impacts.
The risks of adverse impacts from climate change increase with the magnitude of
climate change. The top part of the figure displays the observed temperature increase
relative to 1990 and the range of projected temperature increase after 1990 as estimated
by Working Group I of the IPCC for scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions
Scenarios.
The bottom panel displays conceptualizations of five reasons for concern regarding
climate change risks evolving through 2100. White indicates neutral or small negative or
positive impacts or risks, yellow indicates negative impacts for some systems or low
risks, and red means negative impacts or risks that are more widespread and/or greater
in magnitude.
The assessment of impacts or risks takes into account only the magnitude of change and
not the rate of change. Global mean annual temperature change is used in the figure as a
proxy for the magnitude of climate change, but projected impacts will be a function of,
among other factors, the magnitude and rate of global and regional changes in mean
climate, climate variability and extreme climate phenomena, social and economic
conditions, and adaptation."
Source & ©
IPCC TAR SPM of WG II 
Related publication:
Other Figures & Tables on this publication:
Adaptive Capacity, Vulnerability, and Key Concerns by Region
Facts on environmental matters
Table SPM.1 Estimates of potential global greenhouse gas emission reductions in 2010 and in 2020
The Emissions Scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES)
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Footnotes for the Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Working Group III
Footnotes for Table 1 of IPCC SPM WG II
Footnotes for the Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Working Group 1
Footnotes for the Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Working Group II
Variations of the Earth's surface temperature for :
Indicators of the human influence on the atmosphere during the Industrial Era
The global mean radiative forcing of the climate system for the year 2000,
relative to 1750
Simulated annual global mean surface temperatures
The global climate of the 21st Century
Documented Climate Change Impacts
Figure SPM-2 - Reasons for Concern
Figure SPM-3 - Projected Changes in Annual Runoff
Carbon in Oil, Gas and Coal Reserves Compared with Historic Fossil Fuel Carbon
Emissions (in gigatonnes)
Footnotes to Table SPM-1 (Question 6.2.2)
Figure 8.1 Precipitation
Figure 8.2 Hurricanes
Schematic of observed variations of the temperature
indicators / the hydrological and
storm-related indicators
Many external factors force climate change
The annual mean change of the temperature (colour shading) and its range (isolines)
Analysis of inter-model consistency in regional relative warming
GCRIO
UNFCCC
Pew Climate
NCDC
Climate Ark
Climatic Research Unit
CICERO
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
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