What is the purpose of including RCP2.6?

XDI aims to ensure that the full extreme weather and climate change risk space has been properly explored.  Practically this means selecting high emission pathways and testing hazards using the individual regional models which most exacerbate each hazard. By default, XDI uses RCP8.5 as the reference scenario most appropriate for ‘stress testing’ a portfolio. RCP8.5 provides concentration of greenhouse gases that cause global warming temperature increase of between 3.2°C to 5.4°C by the end of 2100, relative to pre-industrial temperatures. Current emissions most closely follow RCP8.5 and it is sometimes referred to as Business-as-Usual as it assumes high growth without significant decarbonisation of the economy. Other emission pathways will generally result in impacts that are slower to occur or less severe. Therefore, derived impacts for RCP2.6 are mapped from RCP8.5 based on global heat projection differences in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.