Our Scans · (LF.13) 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] There is a serious risk that the combination of climate change and El Nino could result in unprecedented weather extremes in 2026. ST
• [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] 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] As the United States 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. Mother Jones
• [New] The economic effects of climate change are already significant: Studies estimate that, on a business-as-usual pathway, climate damages could shave up to 17% off global GDP by mid-century, driven by hits to infrastructure, productivity, agriculture, and public health. Consultancy Europe
• [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] Tribal implications include heightened risk for Alaska Native and rural Tribal communities due to cuts in climate resilience, water funding, and environmental justice programs, alongside ongoing but limited support for contaminated land cleanup. Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative - Empowering
• [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] Russia is actively engaged in the international climate agenda, taking account of both the challenges and the economic opportunities emerging in its northern regions - including expanded access to the northern sea route and mineral resources in permafrost zones. The Guardian
• [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] 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] The increasing need for climate-resilient infrastructure to buffer against the incoming volatility of conflict and climate interlinkages is already driving 2026 green bond deployment and cargo war risk insurance. ORF Middle East
• [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] Climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present and escalating burden on emergency departments worldwide. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] WHO has already recognised that climate change is a major threat to global health. The Guardian
• [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] Some scientists describe methane reduction as an emergency brake on climate change - one that could help lower the risk of climate tipping points in the coming years. SciTechDaily
• [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
• [New] Put another way, the mechanisms that could aid in climate stabilization are being compromised significantly more quickly than they are According to a different study by the Global Center on Adaptation, investing $1 in nature can yield a return of $2 to $8. Earth
• [New] Insurers continue to prioritize risk selection and technical pricing, reflecting heightened concerns around climate-driven natural catastrophe activity, secondary perils, and evolving geopolitical risks. Artemis.bm - The Catastrophe Bond, Insurance Linked Sec
• [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

Last updated: 25 May 2026