Sign in Subscribe
Emissions (Pollution)

Climate Change: A Growing Threat with a Shrinking Window for Action

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Climate change has been on the world's radar for decades, and predictions made by scientists at oil giant Exxon in the early 1980s are proving eerily accurate. The damage done by a hotter, more chaotic world is getting more expensive, yet many countries are failing to meet their emissions reduction targets. This has put Earth on a dangerous path, as our new report on the climate reveals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The world's climate is ailing, with 22 of 34 tracked vital signs reaching record levels in 2024, including carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and ocean heat.
  • Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have hit new highs, and losses of trees to fire have also reached record levels, affecting roughly 84% of the world's coral reef area between January 2023 and May 2025.
  • Renewable energy consumption set a new record in 2024, but is still 31 times lower than fossil fuel energy consumption, and 1.3% of energy-related emissions rose in 2024, reaching an all-time high of 40.8 gigatons (Gt) of carbon dioxide equivalent.
  • The greatest fossil fuel greenhouse gas emitters in 2024 were China (30.7% of total), the United States (12.5%), India (8.0%), the European Union (6.1%), and Russia (5.5%), who together accounted for 62.8% of global emissions.
  • Protecting and restoring ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, mangroves, and peatlands could remove or avoid around 10 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2050, which is equivalent to roughly 25% of current annual emissions.
  • Per capita meat consumption hit all-time highs in 2024, and 500,000 more people added to World's population each week.
  • Sustained nonviolent movements and protests involving just a small proportion of a population (about 3.5%) can help trigger rapid and large-scale shifts in social norms, beliefs, or behaviors.

Statistics:

  • 2024 was likely the hottest year on record, with Earth's vital signs ailing.
  • Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and ocean heat both hit new highs in 2024.
  • 22 of the planet's 34 vital signs reached record levels in 2024.
  • Renewable energy consumption set a new record in 2024.
  • Energy-related emissions rose 1.3% in 2024 and reached an all-time high of 40.8 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent.
  • The greatest fossil fuel greenhouse gas emitters in 2024 were China, the United States, India, the European Union, and Russia, who together accounted for 62.8% of global emissions.
  • Protecting and restoring ecosystems could remove or avoid around 10 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2050.
  • Per capita meat consumption hit all-time highs in 2024.
  • 500,000 more people are added to World's population each week.

Sources:

  • "The world's climate is ailing" by the unnamed author.
  • IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  • The Australian Research Council.
  • The CO2 Foundation.
  • University of Oregon.
  • The Conversation Media Group Ltd.
  • SyndiGate Media Inc.

Read more