Exporting the ecological effects of climate change. Developed and developing countries will suffer the consequences of climate change, but differ in both their responsibility and how badly it will affect their ecosystems

摘要

Global anthropogenic climate change is contributing to the considerable economic imbalance between rich and poor nations. The changing climate will inevitably influence natural resources, but it is the poorest countries—where humans rely most directly on natural systems for their livelihoods—that are expected to experience the greatest changes. Accordingly, the resources, economies and societies of these nations are likely to be most severely affected, despite the fact that they are least able to cope with—and are least responsible for—climate change itself. Here, we analyse which countries and regions will suffer the most severe changes to their natural ecosystems and biodiversity, and how the responsibility for those changes is distributed across the world.