Climate Change

Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and the impacts of climate change are clear. 2024 was the warmest year on record for Europe. Storms were often severe and flooding widespread, claiming at least 335 lives and affecting an estimated 413 000 people. During the year, there was a striking east-west contrast in climate conditions, with extremely dry and often record-warm conditions in the east, and warm but wet conditions in the west. The European State of the Climate 2024 (ESOTC 2024) report involves around 100 scientific contributors providing holistic yet concise insights into Europe’s climate. C3S is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission. Since 2018, the service has released the ESOTC, a detailed analysis of Europe’s climate for the previous year, going beyond annual temperature with analyses of a wide range of climate variables, from heat and cold stress to sunshine duration and cloudiness, from wildfires to glaciers and much more.

The WMO’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report says that 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record (depending on the dataset), with widespread and prolonged heatwaves. The warming trend between 1991–2024 was almost double that during the 1961–1990 period. In 2024, heatwaves gripped a record area of the ocean. Sea surface temperatures were the highest on record, with Asia’s sea surface decadal warming rate nearly double the global average. Sea level rise on the Pacific and Indian Ocean sides of the continent exceeded the global average, heightening risks for low-lying coastal areas. Reduced winter snowfall and extreme summer heat were punishing for glaciers. In the central Himalayas and Tian Shan. 23 out of 24 glaciers suffered mass loss, leading to an increase in hazards like glacial lake outburst floods and landslides and long-term risks for water security. Extreme rainfall wreaked havoc and heavy casualties in many countries in the region, and tropical cyclones left a trail of destruction, whilst drought caused heavy economic and agricultural losses. The report included a case study from Nepal, showing how strengthened early warning systems and anticipatory action enable communities to prepare for and respond to climate variability and change, thereby helping to protect lives and livelihoods. The State of the Climate reports are flagship reports of WMO and provide policy-relevant information for national and regional decision-making.

The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 report warns that unprecedented ocean warming, sea level rise, and extreme weather are endangering lives, ecosystems, and economies across the region—especially in coastal and island communities. 2024 saw record sea-surface temperatures and near-record ocean heat content, with marine heatwaves affecting over 10% of the global ocean. On land, extreme heat, intense rainfall, and a historic cyclone season caused devastating impacts, while Indonesia’s last tropical glacier nears extinction. The report highlights the importance of strengthened early warning systems, featuring success stories from the Philippines and Fiji that demonstrate how anticipatory action and community-led responses can protect lives and preserve cultural heritage. It calls for urgent investment in adaptation, early warnings, and climate-resilient development.

The 2024 edition of the State of Global Water Resources report documents an extraordinary year shaped by record heat, climate extremes, and widespread water-related impacts. With global surface temperatures reaching 1.55 °C above pre-industrial levels, 2024 was the hottest year in the 175-year observational record. Strong El Niño conditions at the start of the year amplified drought in South America and southern Africa, while other regions faced devastating floods. Across the water cycle, extremes were evident: rivers, reservoirs, lakes, groundwater, and glaciers all showed significant departures from normal. While parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia were inundated by flooding, South America and southern Africa endured severe drought. Glaciers continued record ice loss, adding to sea level rise. These events brought widespread human and economic costs, underscoring the urgent need for better monitoring, early warning, and adaptive water management in the face of a warming climate.

Launched by the United Nations Secretary-General at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2022, the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative set a clear and ambitious goal: that every person on Earth be protected by life-saving, multi-hazard early warning systems by 2027. Grounded in national leadership and country driven priorities, the initiative unites governments, civil society, the private sector and development partners. Within the United Nations system, it is co-led by WMO, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), ensuring coordinated international support behind a single imperative: to reduce the impact of hazardous weather and disasters through science-based early warning and early action.

The Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2025: Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future highlights how smarter investment can reset the destructive cycle of disasters, debt, uninsurability and humanitarian need that threatens a climate-changed world. Disaster risk is increasing as more frequent and intense hazard events, unsafe urbanization and ineffective development put more people and assets in harm’s way. Disasters are having profound macroeconomic impacts, with direct losses estimated at $202 billion. When indirect and ecosystem costs are taken into account, escalating disaster costs now surpass $2.3 trillion annually. There is an urgent need to transform how disaster risk is addressed amid a rapidly changing climate. Risk is no longer a peripheral issue but a systemic challenge that affects financial stability, sustainability, and equity. By embedding risk reduction into core policy and investment decisions, it is possible to break the recurring cycle of shocks, losses and debt. With the right choices, resilience can become a foundation for long-term prosperity, enabling societies not only to withstand disasters but to thrive despite them.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 marks the tenth annual stocktaking of global progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With the 2030 deadline only five years away, the report delivers a stark assessment: the Sustainable Development Goals have improved millions of lives, but the current pace of change is insufficient to fully achieve all the Goals by 2030. The report reveals real and substantial development gains during the past decade. Since 2015, the world has made notable strides in expanding access to education, improving maternal and child health, and bridging the digital divide. Effective prevention efforts have significantly reduced the burdens of infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria. Access to electricity has continued to grow, and renewable energy is now the fastest-rising source of power worldwide. Yet progress has been fragile and unequal. Millions still face extreme poverty, hunger, inadequate housing, and a lack of basic services. Women, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities continue to face systemic disadvantages. Escalating conflicts, climate chaos, rising inequalities, and soaring debt servicing costs are holding back further advancements. Despite these setbacks, national and local success stories showcased in the report – such as universal electricity access in 45 countries and the elimination of neglected tropical diseases in 54 countries – demonstrate that accelerated progress is not only possible but already happening. The report calls for action in six priority areas: food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity. It also urges increased international cooperation and sustained investment to turn the ambition of the 2030 Agenda into reality.