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The planet is sending signals we cannot ignore as emissions and urban heat effects intensify extreme heat, threatening lives worldwide.
As extreme heat intensifies worldwide, stronger monitoring, early warnings, and preparedness are essential to protect health and vulnerable communities.
In a special address at London Climate Action Week, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, draws on the latest scientific evidence to show how the worsening climate crisis and growing energy insecurity are rooted in continued fossil fuels dependence. He outlines a clear pathway to accelerate the transition to a more secure, resilient and sustainable energy future: one powered by renewable energy, strengthened international cooperation, and science-based action.
Extreme heat is one of the most urgent and fast-growing climate challenges facing cities today. Around the world, urban areas are experiencing more frequent, intense, and prolonged heatwaves, affecting health, infrastructure, and daily life. Through the 50@50 initiative, cities are coming together to share solutions, strengthen resilience, and protect communities. From expanding green spaces and cooling public areas to improving urban design and early warning systems, cities are exploring people-centred approaches to stay safe in a warming world. Learn how cities are shaping a more resilient future.
Football teaches us that the greatest matches are played as a team. And the future is, too.
Across East Africa, climate change is driving displacement and disrupting livelihoods, from rising waters along Burundi’s Lake Tanganyika to recurrent flooding in Kenya’s informal settlements. As communities face growing climate pressures, young leaders are developing practical solutions to build resilience. In Burundi, ISHAKA 2250 supports flood-displaced families through reforestation, livestock distribution, and livelihood restoration. In Kenya, Dreams Redefined combines climate action with community development through improved waste management, environmental practices, and financial literacy. Supported by an IOM climate mobility programme and grants, these youth-led initiatives demonstrate how local action can help communities adapt, recover, and thrive. Their work highlights the vital role of young people in addressing climate-driven displacement and building a more resilient future.
The limbo reimagined asks: How low can we go? How low can we keep global warming to safeguard our planet for future generations? In partnership with@alok, the track Deep Down asks us to get moving, to get real, to stand up.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasts an 80% chance of El Niño developing between June and August 2026, with a more than 90% likelihood of persisting until at least November. Most climate models indicate a moderate to potentially strong event. Rising sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, supported by unusually warm subsurface waters and atmospheric indicators, confirm the developing conditions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that El Niño could intensify the impacts of climate change and called for urgent climate action and support for vulnerable communities. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized preparedness, noting increased risks of droughts, heavy rainfall and heatwaves. WMO will continue monitoring conditions and issuing early warnings globally.
A new UN report argues that cutting emissions from buildings and construction is not only essential for tackling climate change, but could also reduce energy costs, improve living conditions, and make housing more affordable worldwide. The report warns that decarbonising buildings and construction is progressing too slowly, despite the sector generating 37% of global emissions and nearly half of all material extraction. While buildings are becoming more energy efficient, rising construction activity and continued fossil fuel dependence threaten climate goals. The report calls for stronger policies, investment, and low-carbon construction to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Heat swept across Europe in 2025 like never before, reaching from sun‑baked southern coasts to places near the Arctic Circle that rarely see such extremes, warns a new report by the World Meteorological Organization. About 95% of Europe was warmer than normal. Long heatwaves hit even Arctic areas, with temperatures above 30°C. Seas were the warmest ever, and many wildfires burned a record area. Glaciers across Europe kept shrinking, snow cover fell well below average, and major ice loss was seen in Iceland and Greenland. Many rivers had low water for most of the year. The report warns these changes are harming people and nature and shows Europe is warming faster than any other continent.
Heat was once routine for Sary Kea, a rice farmer in Cambodia, until extreme temperatures began ruining her crops. Repeated plantings failed as rains never came, draining her income and heightening anxiety about each season. Her story reflects a growing global crisis. A new analysis shows how extreme heat, combined with shifting rain and drought, damages crops, livestock and livelihoods. The effects are personal: lower yields, unsafe working conditions and food loss. Solutions that reach farmers in time — early warnings, heat‑tolerant crops, cooling storage and basic worker protections — are turning heat from a sudden disaster into a risk farmers can plan around, helping families like Sary Kea’s stay safe and afloat.
The World Meteorological Organization warns that unprecedented greenhouse gas–driven warming is disrupting Earth’s climate with long-lasting consequences.
Seagrasses are one of the most widespread marine ecosystems on Earth, covering around 300,000 square kilometres of seabed in 159 countries. When compared to colourful coral reefs, or mysterious mangroves, seagrass meadows may appear simple, but they are vital ecosystems supporting marine life, sustaining fisheries and storing large amounts of carbon while protecting coastlines. As these habitats rapidly disappear, the United Nations is raising awareness through World Seagrass Day and global restoration efforts to help protect biodiversity and combat climate change.
Energy is at the heart of the climate challenge and key to the solution. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. To achieve this, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the clean energy transition. The International Day of Clean Energy (26 January) is a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet. Follow our live event on UN Web TV.