2020 will likely be one of three warmest years on record, according to the provisional 2020 WMO State of the Global Climate report. Ocean heat is at record levels. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, as well as a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, have affected millions of people. Even with pandemic lockdowns slowing economic activity, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases continued to rise.
As extreme heat becomes an increasingly visible reality across Japan, meteorologists, scientists, businesses and professional footballers are joining forces to encourage stronger climate action.
Egypt is safeguarding vulnerable Nile Delta communities with 75km of eco-defenses and embedding long-term coastal adaptation in national plans.
At a UN desertification conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, experts examined how renewable energy expansion can co-exist with land protection and restoration, spotlighting examples from around the world.