Social Consequences of Climate Change

Christopher Callahan is an Earth system scientist interested in the economic and social consequences of climate change. His research focuses on the economic effects of extreme climate events such as heat waves and El Niño events. 

Extreme climate events are the primary way that people experience climate change, and understanding their socioeconomic effects is central to informing climate mitigation and adaptation. In particular, Chris's research examines the long-run economic growth implications of events such as El Niño, showing that these extreme conditions can persistently depress economic output for a decade or more, specifically in the tropical countries who have contributed least to warming. In parallel, understanding the social impacts of extreme climate events is central to informing emerging debates over loss and damage finance and climate litigation. Chris has combined simple climate simulations and statistical models to quantify how major emitters, such as countries and fossil fuel firms, have contributed to economic losses in lower-income and lower-emitting countries. This work aims to provide a quantitative basis for political and legal efforts to understand the financial responsibility of emitters for present and future climate damages.