Perceptions of Catastrophic Climate Risks

Abstract

Many climate change-related risks, such as more frequent and severe natural disasters, can be characterised as low-probability/high-consequence (LP/ HC) events. Perceptions of LP/HC risks are often associated with biases which hamper taking action to limit these risks, such as underestimation of risk, myopia, and the adoption of simplifed decision heuristics. This chapter discusses these biases and outlines key elements of policies to overcome them in order to enhance climate action.