The economic impact of climate change

In the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which assesses the science of climate change and variability and its impacts across the United States, researchers warn that the costs of global warming are continuing to rise. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high Representation Concentration Pathway (RCP) of 8.5, the damage caused by these greenhouse gases are expected to cost the U.S. billions of dollars each year by 2090. To curb this impact, the U.S. will need to address the high RCP by midcentury and keep emission under 4.5 RCP. Here are the sectors that will suffer the biggest economic impact annually with greenhouse gas emissions of RCP 8.5, and the percent of damages avoided if they get under RCP 4.5.