Multiple Climate Tipping Points Metrics for Improved Sustainability Assessment of Products and Services

Mounting evidence indicates that climate tipping points can have large, potentially irreversible, impacts on the earth system and human societies. Yet, change metrics applied in current sustainability assessment methods generally do not consider these points, with use of arbitrarily determined time horizons assumptions impact a product or service is independent emission timing. Here, we propose new method for calculating characterization factors greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) at midpoint. It covers 13 projected incorporates effect crossing given point has accelerating other addresses uncertainties temperature thresholds trigger points. To demonstrate added value metric, apply it to emissions stemming from end-of-life plastic polymers compare them commonly used metrics. This highlights need products services.