Climate change pushing human adaptation to its limits, report warns

Measurable increase in extreme heat days

The report notes that since the Paris Agreement, the global average temperature has risen by approximately 0.3 degrees Celsius. This seemingly small increase has resulted in an average of 11 additional days of extreme heat per year worldwide. Experts cited in the study stress that drastically reducing fossil fuel emissions remains the paramount policy to avert the worst impacts.

Regional impacts and data inequalities

In Spain, a spokesperson for the national weather agency described the findings as a "wake-up call," noting heat waves are lengthening by nearly three days per decade. The report also highlights deep global inequalities, pointing to higher vulnerability and poorer climate data in the Global South, which hampers accurate forecasting and effective adaptation efforts.

Urgent call for mitigation and equity

Researchers emphasized that every fraction of a degree of warming avoided is critical. They called for urgent, simultaneous action on cutting emissions and investing in adaptation, scientific research, and global equity to address the escalating risks. The findings underscore the broad environmental challenges also faced by countries like Türkiye, which contends with its own increasing climate vulnerabilities.