CLIMATE SCENARIOS: 5 traps to avoid

The fact sheet argues that many climate scenarios used by financial actors act as 'greenwashing tools' by underestimating renewable energy, relying on unlikely negative emissions technologies, and omitting significant portions of global greenhouse gas emissions. It asserts that these scenarios often lead to warming exceeding 1.5°C and calls for a complete phase-out of fossil fuel financing by 2040 in Europe and 2050 globally.

• Many climate scenarios are insufficiently ambitious, leading to global warming that exceeds 2°C despite claims of alignment with the Paris Agreement.
• A significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions—approximately 30%—is often omitted from climate scenarios, specifically emissions from methane (15%), deforestation (10%), and nitrous oxide (6%).
• Some scenarios rely on negative emissions and CO2 capture and storage to justify continued fossil fuel production, despite the fact that the global deployment of such technologies is considered highly unlikely.
• Climate scenarios frequently underestimate the potential and role of renewable energies in the global energy mix, which in turn encourages the continued development of fossil energies.
• Financial players are urged to phase out fossil fuels by 2040 in Europe and 2050 elsewhere for oil and gas, with coal phased out ten years earlier.

APA

Reclaim Finance (n.d.). CLIMATE SCENARIOS: 5 traps to avoid. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/InfoV2_EN.pdf

Chicago

Reclaim Finance. CLIMATE SCENARIOS: 5 traps to avoid. n.d. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/InfoV2_EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Reclaim Finance |title=CLIMATE SCENARIOS: 5 traps to avoid |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/InfoV2_EN.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reclaimfinancendclimate, author = {{Reclaim Finance}}, title = {{CLIMATE SCENARIOS: 5 traps to avoid}}, institution = {Reclaim Finance}, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/InfoV2_EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }