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] Climate change could reduce crop yields by 10-25% by 2050 without adaptation measures, creating urgent demand for climate-resilient crop varieties and farming technologies. Persistence Market Research
• [New] 2026's El Nino will almost certainly become the strongest ever recorded, an analysis by a prominent climate researcher has warned. Live Science
• [New] Although confidence is increasing that El Nino will become one of the dominant climate drivers heading into Winter 2026-27, meteorological agencies emphasize that seasonal outlooks should be interpreted as projections of probable climate patterns rather than forecasts of specific weather events. The Watchers
• [New] Major international climate centers, including the Tokyo Climate Center, the Climate Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CPC-NOAA), and the Asia-Pacific Climate Center, have all forecast a continued strengthening of El Nino conditions. Vietnam Economic Times
• [New] The most recent outlook from Columbia University's International Research Institute (IRI) for Climate and Society shows more than a 90% chance of the El Nino state continuing into spring 2027. Industrial Info Resources
• [New] Despite the enormous potential benefits of implementing AI, recent reports led by organizations such as Friends of the Earth and Climate Action Against Disinformation suggest two massive threats posed by using AI. Astutis
• [New] The Met Office is confronting the environmental impact of AI as it balances the technology's potential to advance climate science with its rising energy demands and carbon footprint. UKAuthority
• [New] Climate change could increase energy failures by as much as 500% by 2050 if the siting did not consider future climate conditions. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Climate change is expected to bring more severe winter rainfall and flooding in the UK, but hotter and drier summers are projected to bring more severe droughts in the future. BBC News
• [New] Climate change has lengthened Australia's fire season and has already seen an increase in the number of days where the risk of fire is high. The Guardian
• [New] Extreme heat is emerging as one of the most pressing climate-related risks for cities across Asia and the Pacific. ESCAP
• [New] Grappling with closing health gaps, finding ways to mitigate the impact of global environmental climate change, and identifying ways to turn population ageing and urbanization from problems to opportunities, to name just a few, are all in the fundamental wheelhouse of public health. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The projected five billion liter daily gap by 2055 is the product of two converging pressures: rising demand from a growing population, and reduced reliability of supply driven by climate change. Water Industry Hub
• [New] Over the next 3 years, the UK will spend £6 billion of ODA as International Climate Finance. GOV.UK
• [New] New UNEP FI reports reinforced that climate resilience is now a financial imperative, with the launch of the Adaptation Finance Taxonomy Playbook and new guidance to help banks better integrate sustainability risks into decision-making. UNEP - UN Environment Programme
• [New] By helping Europe decarbonise its industry and transition away from fossil fuels, hydrogen will play a crucial role in achieving the EU's climate neutrality goals. Climate Action
• [New] The percentage of data center markets - of 97 markets analyzed worldwide - that are vulnerable to elevated climate risks including flooding, wildfire, drought, and extreme heat. Circle of Blue
• [New] In southwestern Bangladesh, where extreme heat and severe tropical cyclones threaten the lives of millions of people, a new kind of climate refuge has opened its doors. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] If there is a strong El Nino later this year, there's a serious risk that the effect of climate change and El Nino will result in unprecedented weather extremes. Sierra Magazine
• [New] Spain recently announced a national programme to establish a network of climate shelters - air-conditioned spaces that will generally also provide drinkable water and places to sit. BBC
• [New] Climate will change across Scotland by increasing the frequency and severity of extreme events for temperature and precipitation. NatureScot
• [New] The Environment Strategy for Scotland which acts as an overarching framework, uniting environmental, climate and sustainability policies to restore nature by 2045, using a precautionary approach. NatureScot
• [New] The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has begun to consider climate risks as part of their wider risk management strategy. Climate X

Last updated: 20 July 2026