A picture speaks a thousand words. The use of images to share ideas and information to convey scientific understanding is an inclusive approach for communicating complex ideas. A risk variation diagram is a simple way to present the risk levels that have been evaluated for any particular system. These diagrams take the form of bar charts where each bar represents a different category of risk. The traffic light colour system is used as a basis for doing the risks, making it universally understandable. These diagrams are known colloquially as 'burning ember' diagrams, and have been a cornerstone of IPCC assessments since the Third Assessment Report, and further developed and updated in subsequent reports. The fact that the diagrams are designed to be simple, intuitive and easily understood with the caption alone has contributed to their longstanding effectiveness. Here, in Figure FAQ16.5.1 below, we provide a simplified figure of this chapter's burning embers for five categories of global aggregate risk, called Reasons for Concern , which collectively synthesise how global risk changes with temperature. The diagram shows the levels of concern that scientists have about the consequences of climate change , and how this relates to the level of temperature rise.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report