India, Sept. 25 -- Nearly a quarter of the world's per capita gross domestic product could vanish by the end of the century if climate change continues to escalate unchecked, according to a new study that challenges long-held assumptions about which countries face the greatest economic threat.

The research, published Wednesday in PLOS Climate by teams from the University of Cambridge's climaTRACES Lab and the International Monetary Fund, suggests that adhering to Paris Agreement goals could generate a modest 0.25% global benefit compared to scenarios where temperatures continue rising at historical rates.

The study's sobering projections come as past warming of 1.2degC has already inflicted an estimated 2% loss in global income-equivale...