Memorandum for the Petitioners | 39
attribution evaluates the relative contributions of multiple causal factors to
an observed change or event with an assignment of statistical confidence.”!”?
5.28. As explained by Burger et al., climate change attribution refers
to the area of research that links climate change to anthropogenic drivers, or
how human activities are affecting the global climate system.
Impact
attribution,
on the other hand,
refers to the related but distinct body
of
research that links climate change to its impacts on the world around us,
examining how changes in the global climate system affect other
interconnected human and natural systems. Meanwhile, source attribution
explores the contribution of various emissions sources -- including different
sectors, activities, and entities -- and land use changes to climate change.!3°
These types of attribution research look at the mean of the variables rather
than the extremes.
In contrast, extreme
event attribution
looks at how
human-induced changes in the global climate system are affecting
frequency, severity, and other characteristics of extreme events.!3!
the
C.1.
Event attribution
5.29.
In his Statement,'? expert witness Dr. Myles Allen, Professor of
Geosystem Science in the Environmental Change Institute (School of
Geography and the Environment and Department of Physics, University of
Oxford) and leader of the ECI Global Climate Research Programme,
confirmed that “based on the evidence available from current climate models
and our understanding of the underlying theory, the probabilities of many
potentially damaging extreme weather events, including heatwaves and shortduration extreme precipitation events, increase predictably with rising global
temperatures. Hence, this provides a basis for relating harm associated with
extreme weather events with attributable changes in global temperature.”3
5.30. Extreme event attribution also looks at
fuel tropical cyclones, including typhoons. Climate
for tropical cyclones. As stated by Burger et
temperatures have warmed in most places, which -allows the most intense storms to strengthen, leading
storm impacts.
how climate change can
change has clear drivers
al: “First, sea surface
all things being equal -to non-linear increase in
Second, a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, thus,
can lead to heavier rainfall and flooding. Finally, higher sea levels exacerbate
coastal flooding and high-water levels during storms.”!34
? IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report, supra note 70.
3° Burger, M., ef al. (05 April 2019), The Law and Science of Climate Change Attribution (Forthcoming,
Columbia Journal of Environmental Law), pp. 9-10, available at
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3051 178, (last accessed on 12 September 2019).
31 Ibid. p.25.
'? See Exhibit “PPPPPPPP” to “PPPPPPPP-2,” Statement of Myles Allen, p. 3.
33 Ibid.
'% Burger, M., ef al., supra note 130, pp. 37-40.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents