Climate change poses severe risks and will significantly impact economies and societies around the world unless urgent action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help vulnerable communities adapt. While the impacts of climate change are already apparent, its effects are projected to intensify in the coming decades and centuries according to the latest climate science, with rising sea levels threatening coastal cities and regions, more frequent extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires, water scarcity in some areas and heavy rainfall in others. International cooperation will be crucial to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for both people and the planet.

8. www.worldwatch.org/Vital-Signs-22