Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) — Question 13

A risk consultant begins an engagement for a development agency. The engagement focuses on identifying policies that address climate change impacts. The consultant drafts an action plan that incorporates a roadmap of effective climate policies to present to senior directors at a strategic meeting. The plan includes an introductory summary of the backdrop and effectiveness of historical and current climate policies.
How should the consultant describe the context of climate policy evolution?

Answer options

• A. As global mean annual temperatures rose significantly in the 1980s, scientific consensus around human influence on climate solidified, leading to the formation of the IPCC.
• B. After the World Climate Summit, global climate policy legally required countries responsible for the greatest share of cumulative emissions to cut back emissions the most.
• C. Evidence from the past two decades has accumulated that warming levels will lead to tipping points, supporting an international consensus and policies around a goal of limiting warming to 2.5°C.
• D. The first attempts to create international climate policies and accords focused on emissions reductions occurred in the 1970s, as anthropogenic GHG emissions were globally recognized as fact by scientists.

Correct answer: A

Explanation

Option A is correct because it highlights the significant rise in global temperatures during the 1980s and the resultant scientific consensus leading to the formation of the IPCC. The other options, while discussing important aspects of climate policy, do not accurately reflect the pivotal moment of scientific agreement that catalyzed international climate action.