How to Address the Economic Costs of Climate Change
Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations|Published on: May 30, 2026|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Economics
Authors: CFR Education
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article discusses how climate change affects infrastructure, labor, supply chains, and other economic factors.
- Students will learn how extreme weather events weaken infrastructure and how this impacts costs, energy systems, and supply chains worldwide.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The article ends on a hopeful note with a discussion about solutions.
- The maps and graphs included in this resource help readers visualize the information presented.
Prerequisites
- Some students may become anxious when discussing climate impacts and deaths that result from them. Teachers should monitor students while discussing this topic and can provide resources, such as these, to help students identify and cope with difficult climate-related emotions.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can create a list of the infrastructure impacts mentioned in the article and choose one to research further.
- This resource can be used to make connections to Sustainable Development Goal 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
- The section, “How Climate Change Damages the Built Environment,” is great for making connections to environmental justice.
- This is a fairly lengthy article, so teachers may want to assign sections that correlate to a current topic of study or follow a jigsaw protocol, rather than have students read the article in full.
- Students can research specific climate solutions that address the problems in the article. For example, students can read about cool roofs and other solutions using this resource.
This discussion offers readers a different perspective on climate change and its impacts, focusing on the larger societal impacts and emphasizing the economic consequences of inaction. Potential solutions and current actions are also discussed. The information presented is accurate, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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