Following the publication of two critiques as “Matters Arising”, and in conversation with the journal Nature, the authors of the study “The economic commitment of climate change” at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have retracted the paper. In response to the critiques, the authors undertook revisions to constructively address the issues raised.
Nature determined the changes exceeded those of a correction, so the authors will resubmit a new version of the paper for peer review. A revised analysis, including data and methodology, was made open access in August 2025 for the wider scientific community to engage with, though the authors emphasise that this has not yet undergone peer review.
The revised analysis shows economic damages from climate change till mid-century are substantial and outweigh the costs of mitigation, they are mainly driven by temperature changes and affect regions with low incomes and low historical emissions most.
The authors and PIK take full responsibility for the original oversight which has led to the retraction. The authors would like to thank Thomas Bearpark, Dylan Hogan, Solomon Hsiang and Christof Schötz for bringing the issues to their attention. By resubmitting a new version of the paper, they hope to contribute to the further development of this important field.
PIK is one of the leading research institutions addressing relevant questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development.
Natural and social scientists work closely together to generate interdisciplinary insights that provide a sound basis for decision-making for society, businesses and politics. PIK is a member of the Leibniz Association.