Climate Change, Uncertainty, and Policy

While the foundations of climate science and ethics are well established, fine-grained predictions, as policy-decisions, beset with uncertainties. This chapter maps uncertainties classifies them to their ground, extent, location. A typology uncertainty is presented, centered along axes scientific moral uncertainty. illustrated paradigmatic examples in science, ethics, economics. The discusses IPCC’s preferred way representing evaluates its strengths weaknesses from a risk management perspective. Three general strategies for decision-makers cope outlined, usefulness which largely depends on whether find themselves context “deep uncertainty.” concludes that various engrained discourse cannot be overcome. It offers two recommendations ease work policymakers, given this predicament.