2022 had its share of highs and lows in the fight against the climate crisis.
Extreme heat waves, hurricanes, and flooding cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars in losses around the world. The disasters underscored what lies ahead without immediate action to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, which are still on the rise from burning coal, oil, and gas.
Yet there also were a handful of milestones that could make 2022 a turning point for the planet, including new climate laws in the US and Australia, rapidly growing electric-vehicle and renewable-energy markets, and global agreements to combat plastic pollution and biodiversity loss.
These events should give us hope for 2023 and beyond about life on Earth: