The problem
A hotter planet, unequal impacts.
Global warming is driven mainly by human burning of coal, oil, and gas. Yet its harshest consequences fall first on low‑income communities, Indigenous peoples, and young people who contributed least to the crisis.
In 2024, global surface temperatures were about 1.46 °C above the 1850–1900 average, making it the hottest year in modern records. The last decade contained all ten of the warmest years observed since 1850.
When warming exceeds 1.5 °C for long periods, the risks of irreversible changes to ice sheets, coral reefs, and ecosystems grow sharply.
Hotter oceans and air are fuelling more frequent and intense heatwaves, heavy rainfall, droughts, and wildfires. Coastal cities face accelerating sea‑level rise, while many regions see crop failures and water stress.
Wealthier countries and high‑emitters have historically produced most greenhouse‑gas emissions. Yet communities with less wealth, who are least responsible, often suffer first and hardest—raising deep questions about fairness, reparations, and shared responsibility.