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The $2 Trillion Question: Callendar Releases New Report on Short-Term Climate Risks for Global Infrastructure

  • cguedamour
  • 3 hours ago
  • 2 min read

As climate change accelerates, critical infrastructure worldwide is increasingly exposed to extreme weather events. In response, French climate tech startup Callendar has published a new in-depth analysis of physical climate risks across the energy, transportation, water, and telecommunications sectors:

“The 2 Trillion Dollar Question - A Review of Short-Term Climate Risks for Global Infrastructure”

 

Climate risks for global infrastructures

$2 Trillion in Climate-Related Infrastructure Losses by 2035


The report estimates that global infrastructure could suffer over $2 trillion in losses due to climate-related hazards over the next decade. These losses stem from physical risks such as flooding, extreme rainfall, storm surge, wind, heatwaves, and drought.


We often talk about climate risk in terms of distant futures. But this report makes it clear: the losses are already here.

The United-states is identified as the most exposed country, with projected infrastructure losses of $600 billion, followed by China and Japan. In Europe, France ranks as the most at-risk country, with expected damages of $66 billion over the next 10 years.


The energy sector alone accounts for $827 billion in projected damages, particularly in electricity generation and transmission infrastructure. Roads, railways, and telecommunications networks add another $900 billion to the global climate risk burden, highlighting the urgency for updated design standards and resilience strategies.


Climate Risk Is a Design Problem


Just as another study confirms that the Paris Agreement objective of keeping global warming below 1.5°C is no longer attainable and the first heatwave of the year is hitting France, the report emphasizes that infrastructure losses often stem from outdated technical assumptions, like cooling systems designed for temperatures that are no longer rare or drainage systems sized using rainfall statistics from the past century.


Adapting to current and future climate conditions requires replacing these outdated assumptions with reliable, forward-looking data, especially for long-life infrastructure projects. Released alongside the report, ClimateVision  is Callendar’s new web-based SaaS platform designed to help infrastructure developers, operators, and engineers integrate climate projections into real-world projects.

The tool provides localized, sector-specific climate indicators, such as extreme rainfall, heat, drought, and wind, anywhere in the world. It is specifically built for professionals involved in infrastructure design, risk assessments, and capital planning, not just climate scientists or sustainability teams.

Callendar is a French climate tech startup focused on accelerating climate adaptation in the industrial and infrastructure sectors. By developing accessible tools that deliver actionable climate insights, Callendar supports organizations in making informed, future-proof investment and design decisions.

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