Articles | Volume 9, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-1013-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-1013-2018
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
17 Aug 2018
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 17 Aug 2018

A quantitative approach to evaluating the GWP timescale through implicit discount rates

Marcus C. Sarofim and Michael R. Giordano

Viewed

Total article views: 8,317 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
5,935 2,152 230 8,317 320 222 268
  • HTML: 5,935
  • PDF: 2,152
  • XML: 230
  • Total: 8,317
  • Supplement: 320
  • BibTeX: 222
  • EndNote: 268
Views and downloads (calculated since 06 Feb 2018)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 06 Feb 2018)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 8,317 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 7,832 with geography defined and 485 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 14 May 2026
Download
Short summary
The 100-year GWP is the most widely used metric for comparing the climate impact of different gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. However, there have been recent arguments for the use of different timescales. This paper uses straightforward estimates of future damages to quantitatively determine the appropriate timescale as a function of how society discounts the future and finds that the 100-year timescale is consistent with commonly used discount rates.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint