1. Climate Change: RESPONSIBILITY versus VULNERABILITY
Kiera Zehnacker and Maggie Mahoney

2. Introduction
Discrepancy between where location of greatest emission production is and where the effects of climate change are felt
Wanted to look further into what the implications of this discrepancy were on climate action around the world
Used maps and existing models for research

3. Research Focuses
How is climate change responsibility and vulnerability distributed around the world?
What impact does this disparity have on global climate change action?

4. Responsibility Responsibility = CO2 emissions
s: Industrializing countries dominate emissions
US, UK, Russia, Germany, China
: New Top Emitters Emerge
China surpassed US in 2005
UK and Russia stabilize and reduce emissions
Japan and India become top emitters
2007: Developing nations surpass Industrialized countries

5. Vulnerability
Complex set of factors: sea level, storms, floods, health, economy, etc.
For our purposes:
Vulnerability= Sea Level
number of people living less than 5m above sea level
Climate change leads to sea level rise, displacing those at current sea level

6. Comparing Responsibility and Vulnerability
Historically, Europe and US have significant emissions responsibility
Asia and smaller islands show most vulnerability to sea level rise
THE DISCREPANCY

7. Climate Vulnerable Forum
Forty three nations- consider themselves to be in a highly vulnerable state due to the effects of global warming
Calling for a goal of reducing global warming to below 1.5 degrees celsius by 2100
Goals of low carbon development, carbon neutrality, renewable energy
Chanel input from most vulnerable groups

8. Nations of the CVF
The 43 nations are not the major emitters, yet all are feeling the impacts of climate change more than most major emitters
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Haïti, Honduras, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Yemen

9. Kiribati
Pacific island nation, 33 islands, 811 sq km, 4x size of Washington D.C.
Population: 106,925
Only a few hundred meters wide, few meters above sea level
Average height: about six feet above sea level
Highly impoverished, no infrastructure, tiny economy
Threatened by rising sea level
Lowest emission rates in world, fifth lowest carbon dioxide emission from consumption of energy
Some of the lowest electricity production and consumption rates in the world
Not developed

11. Climate Change: Impacts on Kiribati
The projected rise in sea level would flood the island nation
People have already had to evacuate to the capital, but the city is not large or developed enough to support the current population
Three islands have already gone under water
Mass evacuation to another island?
Efforts include building seawalls with sandbags...

12. Modeling Sea Level Rise
Model: Surging Seas Risk Zone Map
Created by Climate Central
Utilizes satellite-based elevation data from NASA
Highlighted at the launch of The White House's Climate Data Initiative in March 2014
Used in testimony in the US Senate
Featured on cover of NY Times, CBS, NBC, and PBS news
Grounded in peer-reviewed work

13. Surging Seas Risk Zone Model
Looking specifically at Kiribati
Shows implications of vulnerability to sea level rise
Kiribati close-up Side-by-side comparison

14. Conclusions from Research
Responsibility has historically been with industrialized countries (US, Europe), but they are amongst the least vulnerable
Sea level vulnerability is highest in Asia and island countries
Many countries with fewest emissions are most affected (Kiribati)
Smaller nations needed bargaining power, so they created the CVF to compete with larger and more powerful nations

15. So What?
In general, the politically influential countries will not experience climate change as severely as other countries
Firsthand experience is the greatest motivator for action
Less urgent push for global policies and initiatives combating climate change
Policies like CVF are being put into place to aid in the push, but it is unclear how effective they will be in the future years

16. Sources http://cait.wri.org/ http://www.carbonmap.org/