The transnational impacts of global climate change for Germany : abridged version / by Martin Peter, Madeleine Guyer, Dr Jürg Füssler (INFRAS AG, Zürich) ; in association with Professor Birgit Bednar-Friedl, Nina Knittel, Dr Bachner Gabriel Wegener (Center for Climate and Global Change, University of Graz, Graz), Professor Reimund Schwarze (Viadrina European University, Frankfurt (Oder)) ; on behalf of the German Environment Agency ; publisher: Umweltbundesamt ; report performed by: INFRAS ; edited by: Section I 1.6 KomPass - Climate Impacts and Adaptation, Clemens Haße

Abstract

Climate change will affect the frequency, intensity and regional occurrence of extreme weather events and lead to gradual climatic changes. Although climate change impacts appear locally at first, they spread beyond political borders due to the global physical and economic interconnectedness. Depending on a country’s extent of global interdependence and interaction with vulnerable countries, it may face the indirect consequences of the international impacts of climate change. This report provides an overview of the potential impact chains of global climate change on the German economy. The project used a qualitative analysis to consider the influences of climate change on the German economy and then evaluated their relevance. Some impact chains were subsequently selected to be used in a global macroeconomic model that would investigate the exposure and relevance of climate change-induced disruptions. Lastly, adaptation strategies and measures were developed that would be suitable to be deployed against the most significant global effects.