Global Scans · Climate Change & Extreme weather · Weekly Summary

• [New] A team of scientists led by Rutgers researchers has uncovered evidence that modern sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities especially at risk. EurekAlert!
• [New] By 2050, an extra 1.5 million people could be living in high-risk coastal areas exposed to sea level rise. Hunter New Energy
• [New] The federal government has released Australia's first National Climate Risk Assessment, mapping how worsening heat, fires, floods and sea level rise are expected to affect communities, infrastructure, industries and ecosystems, alongside a National Adaptation Plan to guide future action. Hunter New Energy
• [New] Hospitals in Appalachia, the Midwest, and even the arid American West could be surrounded by several feet of water during extreme weather. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] Climate change is a driver of poverty, poor mental health, inequity, and increased intersectional vulnerability, with significant differential global impacts on individual and community health and well-being. UW Health Sciences Library
• [New] With increasing global demand to reduce carbon footprints and manage climate change, we can expect to see a keen focus on sustainable technical engineering practices throughout 2025 and beyond. Mackinnon And Partners
• [New] Climate change has already impacted crop yields in parts of South Asia, contributing to declines in productivity, shifts in planting and harvest dates, and increased vulnerability to pests and extreme weather. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] Air pollution linked to climate change was responsible for more than eight million premature deaths globally in a single year, making it the second-leading risk factor for death globally. Climate Week
• [New] Sea-level change, a direct indicator of climate change, poses substantial risks to coastal communities and will continue to do so in the coming century. Nature
• [New] The overall volume of sea-level rise that Greenland could contribute could be quite large, and that matters a lot in a number of different places on the planet. Cornell University
• [New] While uncertainties around the Antarctic Ice Sheet explain the most variability of 21st century sea-level rise, Greenland could play a larger role in the 22nd century. Cornell University
• [New] The timing of emissions reductions, even more so than the rate of reduction, will be key to avoiding catastrophic thresholds for ice-melt and sea-level rise. Cornell University
• [New] By 2050, sea level rise could put 1.5 million more people in high-risk coastal areas, and as many as 3 million by 2090. World Socialist Web Site
• [New] In Europe around 200 million people live near coastlines - and higher baseline sea levels increase the threat to their homes and infrastructure from extreme weather. Climate Home News
• [New] A worst-case scenario of climate change and disasters would push an additional 100.7 million people into poverty by 2030. PendulumEdu
• [New] Nuclear waste is exceptionally at risk for climate change disasters such as increasing wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes, and the amount of waste currently in temporary storage in the United States measures at a whopping 90,000 metric tonnes. Climate Scorecard
• [New] The Arctic's potential opportunities for strategic trade, energy exploration and exploitation of rare earth minerals - which are expected to increase as climate change melts vast swaths of ice - have made the region the unlikely center of Russia-China-US rivalry. Al Jazeera
• [New] The risk of inaction on adaptation is large; the physical impacts of climate change could lower GDP by 7 to 14% by 2050. null
• [New] The Surfrider Foundation released its 2025 State of the Beach report, noting more than half of America's beaches could disappear by the year 2100 due to climate-driven sea level rise. Hawaii News Now
• [New] If left unaddressed, climate change related natural disasters could cost the U.S. economy approximately $14.5 trillion over the next fifty years. KFF
• [New] On the current trajectory, net-zero CO2 is reached only after 2090, with global warming stabilizing around 2.2 °C by 2100. Forbes
• As corporate exposure to climate change grows, regulators worldwide are expanding disclosure requirements to improve transparency and help stakeholders understand financial and other risks that could disrupt markets if left unmanaged. Erm
• As the first African host of the G20, South Africa sees 2025 as an opportunity to spotlight African priorities, including development financing, debt relief, and climate change. Friedrich Naumann Foundation

Last updated: 18 October 2025