Global Scans · Climate Action · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• [New] Due to the climate crisis, by 2050, annual adaptation costs could reach US$ 565 billion, coral reefs could virtually disappear, 90% of coastal cities could be hit by sea level rise, and up to 70 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa will be forced to migrate. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] By limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius from the 2.7 degrees we are now tracking towards, the number of global climate migrants could be reduced by half, and the number exposed to extreme heat can reduce fivefold, from 22% to just 5% of people on the planet. Next Big Idea Club
• [New] The combination of climate change and a strengthening El Nino could intensify floods, droughts, and wildfires later in 2026 and into 2027. Yeni Safak
• [New] As of early 2026, federal projections show Canada falls short of its 2030 climate goals. Climate Scorecard
• [New] Brazil occupies a pivotal position in the global climate agenda, combining significant transition risks with unique opportunities linked to its natural capital and emerging carbon markets. Industry Link
• [New] The logic is simple and straightforward: climate change is already happening, and regardless of any mitigation effort, the world is going to need infrastructure, data, and systems to deal with the effects that are already inevitable - more intense droughts, more frequent floods, longer heat waves. Metodo Viral
• [New] The UK is well-placed to become a world leader in climate change adaptation technologies and services but realising that potential will require deliberate and sustained policy intervention. CETEx
• [New] By 2030, the global investment required to adapt to the impacts of climate change is expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion annually, with the UK projected to need to invest £10 billion each year. CETEx
• [New] 867 counties are estimated to see economic damages of greater than $1 million each year directly due to climate change by 2040. Next Big Idea Club
• [New] Climate change and cyber threats are no longer hypothetical or isolated issues; rather, they have grown into persistent, interrelated problems that have an impact on areas and companies all over the world. PA Global
• [New] The most recent UK Climate Projections confirm that we can expect increases to extreme coastal water levels as a result of the increase in mean sea level, and that there is potential for changes in the severity of future storm surge events. RMetS
• [New] Without adaptation the cost of climate change to public welfare is predicted to rise to between 1-5% of UK GDP by 2050 under a 2 °C global warming level, equivalent to £ 60-£ 260 billion per year. Climate Change Committee
• [New] Startups like Beehive and Sensegrass offer models that could be adapted for the Brazilian context, where agriculture represents a significant share of GDP and exposure to climate risk is a constant concern for both producers and investors. Metodo Viral
• [New] US Department of Agriculture climate risk models and crop-resilience tools help farmers plan for and manage droughts, floods and changing seasons. WFHB
• [New] With momentum building around intra-African trade and regional value chain development, and with the UK hosting the G20 and Ethiopia hosting COP 32 in 2027, there is a timely opportunity to align trade, investment, climate and development agendas. ODI: Think change
• [New] As the US prepares for hurricane season and a summer of record-breaking heat, experts fear the Trump administration's cuts to climate and weather data programming could make the federal government's weather forecasts less reliable when they are needed most. The Guardian
• [New] There's a conspicuous lack of increased budget support for vital regional climate diplomacy, which is very clearly in the national interest, and another missed opportunity given Australia's crucial role as chair of global climate negotiations this year. Mirage News
• [New] Federal forecasters issued a warning Wednesday that El Nino is expected to arrive within weeks and could intensify into one of the most powerful climate events on record, with wide-ranging consequences for hurricane activity, rainfall and temperatures across the United States and beyond. The Washington Times
• [New] Armed conflicts, technological disruption, trade fragmentation, climate pressures, and intensifying competition over global governance rules are reshaping the international system. African Leadership Magazine
• [New] Climate-related insurance schemes are already expected to rise by 50% by 2030, thus prompting the need to recalibrate insurance to incentivise resilience approaches. ORF Middle East
• [New] Pension fund administrators should continue to adopt net-zero emissions targets for 2050 as a means to build climate resilience, and thus invest only in climate resilient areas and companies with credible net-zero plans as a requirement of their lending decisions. Smart Prosperity Institute
• [New] Middle East disruption highlights a core climate risk in the global energy system: continued dependence on imported fossil fuels leaves economies exposed to physical chokepoints, price spikes, and delayed decarbonization. ASUENE | The enterprise climate cloud platform | Carbon
• [New] Scientists are warning that 2026 could become one of the most severe global wildfire years on record, driven by accelerating climate change and the possible development of a strong El Nino weather event. Turkiye Today

Last updated: 24 May 2026