Why was the Nature climate economic study retracted?

The study was retracted because a data error related to Uzbekistan significantly skewed the results, overestimating the projected economic damage from climate change.

What were the original and revised economic damage estimates from the Nature paper?

The original paper estimated a 62% decline in global economic output by 2100, which was revised to an estimated 23% after excluding flawed data.

Which countries' data caused the Nature study to be retracted?

The retraction was primarily due to flawed data concerning Uzbekistan, which had an outsized impact on the study's overall conclusions.

Home / Environment / Nature Retracts Flawed Climate Economic Damage Paper

Nature Retracts Flawed Climate Economic Damage Paper

3 Dec

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Summary

A Nature study estimating huge economic damage from climate change was retracted.
A data error concerning Uzbekistan skewed the study's findings significantly.
The original paper's estimated 62% economic decline was likely closer to 23%.

Nature Retracts Flawed Climate Economic Damage Paper

A significant study published in the journal Nature, which had projected severe economic consequences from climate change, was retracted this week. The original findings suggested an alarming 62% reduction in global economic output by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario. However, subsequent scrutiny revealed critical flaws in the data used for Uzbekistan, which disproportionately influenced the study's conclusions.

When economists re-examined the data, excluding the problematic figures from Uzbekistan, the projected economic damages were considerably lower, falling closer to 23%. This revised estimate aligns more with previous research, though experts still stress that such a decline would be devastating. The retraction highlights ongoing challenges in accurately modeling the complex interplay between climate change and the global economy.