

Planetary Solvency | Sandy Trust
Jan 16, 2025
Sandy Trust, an actuary and lead author on papers linking economies to Earth systems, discusses alarming insights on the impending collapse of both our global economy and ecological systems if current trajectories persist. He critiques existing climate policies for their flawed risk assessments, stressing the urgency for a systems approach to understanding climate impacts. Trust also emphasizes the necessity for credible government policies and realistic carbon budgeting, warning of a potential 50% drop in GDP by 2050 due to climate change.
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Implied Risk Acceptance
- Current climate policies imply an acceptance of certain risks, even aiming for 1.5-2°C warming.
- Policymakers underestimate the potential fallout, assuming they can manage it.
Flawed Methodology
- Climate policy risk methodology is flawed because it's not systemic.
- It analyzes risks in isolation, ignoring cascading effects and tipping points.
Amazon Tipping Point
- The Amazon rainforest tipping point is estimated at 3°C warming, considering only climate.
- Deforestation lowers this to 1.5°C, highlighting the interconnectedness of risks.