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The Paris Agreement’s promises would cost trillions and reduce global temperatures by just 0.05°C by 2100. That’s a terrible deal for the world’s poor.

Bjørn Lomborg

Presentation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24), 2018 · Gecheckt op 3 maart 2026
The Paris Agreement’s promises would cost trillions and reduce global temperatures by just 0.05°C by 2100. That’s a terrible deal for the world’s poor.

Analyse

Lomborg’s figure of **0.05°C** stems from a **2015 MIT study** (Paltsev et al.) modeling *unconditional* NDC pledges (those without additional financing or strengthened post-2030 commitments). However, the study’s **high-end estimate** (with conditional pledges and extended policies) projected **0.2–0.5°C** reductions by 2100. Later analyses (e.g., **Climate Action Tracker, 2021**) suggest **~0.2–0.4°C** with full implementation, including updated NDCs post-2020. His claim also omits co-benefits like reduced air pollution (saving **millions of lives annually**, per WHO) and economic gains from green tech investments (IRENA, 2020). The 'trillions' cost framing lacks context: the **IPCC AR6** notes mitigation costs (**1–4% of global GDP**) are outweighed by avoided climate damages (**5–20% of GDP by 2100**).

Achtergrond

The **Paris Agreement (2015)** relies on nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which countries update every 5 years. Early pledges were widely criticized as insufficient, but the agreement’s **ratchet mechanism** aims to escalate ambition over time. Lomborg, a **skeptic of aggressive climate policies**, frequently cites cost-benefit analyses from his think tank (**Copenhagen Consensus**), which prioritize adaptation over mitigation—a stance contested by mainstream climate economists (e.g., Stern, Nordhaus).

Samenvatting verdict

Lomborg’s claim oversimplifies the Paris Agreement’s projected impacts by relying on a narrow, low-end estimate of temperature reduction while ignoring broader benefits and cost uncertainties.

Geraadpleegde bronnen

— Paltsev, S. et al. (2015). *The Paris Agreement and the Future of Global Climate Policy*. MIT Joint Program. [DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2015.10.035]
— Climate Action Tracker (2021). *Warming Projections Global Update*. [https://climateactiontracker.org/global/temperatures/](https://climateactiontracker.org/global/temperatures/)
— IPCC AR6 (2022). *Mitigation of Climate Change*, Ch. 17. [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/)
— WHO (2021). *Health Argument for Climate Action*. [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health)
— IRENA (2020). *Global Renewables Outlook*. [https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/April/Global-Renewables-Outlook-2020](https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/April/Global-Renewables-Outlook-2020)
— Stern, N. (2016). *Economics of Climate Change*. World Bank. [https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25179](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25179)