1511. World Environment Day 2026

As part of the World Environment Day 2026 feature page, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted an article entitled "The Climate Crisis Explained in Seven Graphs," presenting the current state of the climate crisis and possible future trajectories through a series of visual summaries.

The article notes that global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, reaching a record high of nearly 58 billion tonnes in 2024. Although countries have committed to reducing emissions under the Paris Agreement, current global efforts remain insufficient to place the world on a pathway consistent with international climate goals.

As a result, global average temperatures continue to increase. In 2024, the global mean surface temperature was approximately 1.5°C above the average of the late nineteenth century. The most rapid warming has occurred during the past two decades and has been associated with increasing occurrences of floods, heatwaves, wildfires, and other extreme weather events.

The impacts of warming are also becoming evident across Earth’s natural systems. In the Arctic, permafrost is thawing, releasing carbon and methane that have been stored in frozen soils for thousands of years. UNEP warns that this process could create feedback mechanisms that further accelerate climate change.

While significant uncertainty remains regarding future warming, UNEP notes that if current policies continue, global temperatures could rise by between 2.5°C and 4.6°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. Even if all current national climate pledges are fully implemented, warming is still projected to reach between 2.1°C and 2.9°C.

Particularly concerning are potential climate tipping points. According to the article, warming of 2°C would likely lead to the loss of nearly all warm-water coral reefs. At 3°C, the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets could begin to collapse, contributing substantially to sea-level rise. At 4°C of warming, parts of the Amazon rainforest could transition into savannah, releasing vast amounts of stored carbon and further amplifying climate change. At the current rate of warming, several of these tipping points may be crossed during this century.

Climate change is also expected to have profound economic consequences. UNEP estimates that, without sufficient mitigation and adaptation efforts, global GDP could decline by as much as 22 percent by 2100, equivalent to annual economic losses of approximately US$133 trillion.

At the same time, the article highlights reasons for cautious optimism. Greenhouse gas emissions are already declining or expected to decline in countries and regions including Australia, China, the European Union, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Continued improvements in renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency could accelerate this trend. However, UNEP emphasizes that the pace of change must increase substantially if the worst impacts of climate change are to be avoided.

(Reference)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Climate Crisis Explained in Seven Graphs. World Environment Day 2026 – Latest Updates, 1 May 2026. [https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/climate-crisis-explained-se…](https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/climate-crisis-explained-se…)

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Strategic Coordination Office