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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Justina Nixon-Saintil is IBM's chief impact officer and a member of BI's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workforce-innovation-board-tackles-topics-such-as-c-suite-innovation-ai-worker-wellness-2024-8">Workforce Innovation board</a>.</li><li>The leader in corporate social responsibility says companies must expand access to learning AI skills.</li></ul>Business Insider's "Workforce Innovation" series features an advisory board of experts, convened from a wide variety of roles and industry verticals, to talk about driving positive outcomes across four key change drivers — artificial intelligence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, worker well-being, and C-suite transformation.As IBM's vice president of corporate social responsibility and chief impact officer, Justina Nixon-Saintil's remit sits at the intersection of some of the most pressing workforce issues."When you look at all the different areas — artificial intelligence, DEI, C-suite transformation, and worker well-being — there are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-employee-well-being-support-human-side-business-work-engagement-2024-9">connections</a> between them across the board," Nixon-Saintil said.Nixon-Saintil comes from an engineering background and thinks leaders should have a hands-on approach to technology and its impact on employees and communities."I do love technology. I love learning new technologies. I myself have to upskill so that I understand these technologies and how we can use them from a social-impact perspective."The following has been edited for length and clarity.You focus a lot on sustainability in your role. What is the connection to workforce innovation?I focus on very specific populations so that they can be prepared and successful in the workforce. We also make sure that we're investing in communities that are most vulnerable due to climate change and environmental threats.A lot of my time is spent on AI and how to make sure we're using it to help vulnerable communities. How do we use AI to help support our learners? From the high-school and university level to adult learners — how do we upskill and reskill them in AI so that they can move into well-paying jobs?There's a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-wont-take-your-job-someone-using-it-will-quote-2024-6">saying</a> now that everyone is repeating: AI is not going to take your job, but somebody with AI skills will. So we want to make sure we're bringing those AI skills to our learners so that they can be successful in these tech jobs.Every industry is going to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-ai-revolution-means-for-business-2024-5">revolutionized</a> with AI; it's a useful innovation. We want to make sure that people can take advantage of those jobs, and that helps worker well-being.How are you evolving your leadership focus for yourself and at IBM?When I was in Singapore recently, we hosted a roundtable with corporate-social-responsibility leaders from a number of companies, clients, and partners. They're all thinking the same thing: How can we use new technologies to understand all communities better and have a greater impact?They're also thinking about how they can use it to enhance their own productivity. I think everyone is trying to figure out how to take advantage of and understand this technology because it's happening so quickly.I have the privilege of working at a company that has focused on upskilling its employees.For two years now, I've taken part in what we call the WatsonX Challenge internally, where we do training on AI and participate in a team to solve a challenge. I was a part of a CSR team, and we focused on how to create an AI assistant that could help respond to questions around ESG practices.Leaders are upskilling and reskilling themselves around AI. I think it starts from the top, and we're seeing that all employees have to engage. This is a way a lot of companies can also upskill their employees in something that's fun, competitive, and team-based.The AI evolution is moving fast; what is the impact of that rapid change? Do you see any parallels?When I was at university, it was the launch of the internet. For the everyday person, it wasn't until maybe a little over 30 years ago that it really accelerated quickly, and there was a need to understand it as an engineer. Even if you think about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-divide-affordable-connectivity-program-ending-april-2024-3">digital divide</a> and what we as CSR professionals have been looking at for the last 20 or 30 years, from the time that the internet was made available to where we are today, there's still a gap.I saw a statistic that six out of 10 professionals still need to be upskilled globally just on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-literacy-ethics-teaching-students-educators-scholars-2024-2">digital literacy</a>. So when you think about that and what's happening with the acceleration of gen AI, my concern is: Does it widen the gap?How do we make sure that it doesn't become that digital divide we've had for many years and quickly support our communities, especially in low-income areas, to ensure they have access to the right skills to be successful? Because it's moving at a pace that we've never seen before.

Reskilling and investing in communities are crucial during the AI revolution, IBM's chief impact officer says

A deadly heat wave gripped large regions of Asia for weeks in April and May 2024. As temperatures climbed past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) in India on May 7, campaigning politicians, local news announcers and voters waiting in long lines passed out from the oppressive heat. From as far north as Japan to as far south as the Philippines, the relentless heat wreaked havoc on everyday life. Students and teachers in Cambodia were sent home from school, as their hand-held fans provided little protection against the stifling heat and humidity in their poorly ventilated classrooms. Farmers in Thailand saw their crops wither and mourned the loss of livestock that perished under the punishing sun. Hundreds of people died from the heat. Most of the planet has suffered the dire effects of <keyword id="20563038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="extreme-heat" source="keywords">extreme heat</keyword> in recent years. A weekslong heat wave in the southwestern United States in 2023 was described as "hell on earth" in Phoenix, where temperatures hit 110 F (43.3 C) or higher for 31 straight days. At the same time, Europe saw unprecedented high temperatures that killed hundreds and contributed to devastating wildfires in Greece. Regardless of where or when a heat wave strikes, one pattern is a constant: Older adults are the most likely to die from extreme heat, and this crisis will worsen in the coming years. We study <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> and population aging. Our research documents two global trends that together portend a dire future. More older adults will be at risk of heat stress First, temperatures are hotter than ever. The nine-year period from 2015 and 2023 had the highest average temperatures since global records began in 1880. Second, the population is aging worldwide. By 2050, the number of people ages 60 and older will double to nearly 2.1 billion, making up 21 per cent of the <keyword id="21055680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-population" source="keywords">global population</keyword>. That proportion is 13 per cent today. These combined forces mean that ever-rising numbers of vulnerable older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat. To understand the risks ahead, we developed population projections for different age groups and combined them with climate change scenarios for the coming decades. Our analyses show that by 2050, more than 23 per cent of the world population ages 69 and older will be living in regions where peak temperatures routinely surpass 99.5 degrees F (37.5 degrees C), compared with just 14 per cent today. That means that as many as 250 million additional older adults will be exposed to dangerously high temperatures. Mapping the data shows that most of these older adults live in lower- and middle-income countries with insufficient services and limited access to electricity, cooling appliances and safe water. In historically cooler regions in the Global North, including North America and Europe, <keyword id="20707229" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rising-temperatures" source="keywords">rising temperatures</keyword> will be the main force driving older adults' heat exposure. In historically hotter regions in the Global South such as Asia, Africa and South America, population growth and increases in longevity mean that steeply rising numbers of older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat-related risks. Policymakers, communities, families and older residents themselves need to understand these risks and be prepared because of older adults' special vulnerabilities to heat. Extreme heat is especially harmful to older adults High temperatures are oppressive for everyone, but for older adults they can be deadly. Extreme heat worsens common age-related health conditions such as heart, lung and kidney disease and can cause delirium. Older people don't sweat as much as younger people, which makes it harder for their bodies to cool down when temperatures spike. These problems are intensified by common prescription medications, such as anticholinergics, which further reduce the capacity to sweat. Spending time outdoors in hot humid weather can cause dehydration, a problem worsened by the side effects of prescription medications such as diuretics and beta-blockers. Dehydration can make older adults weak and dizzy, increasing their risk of falls and injury. These threats are even worse in regions lacking access to safe and affordable drinking water. Poor air quality makes it difficult to breath, especially for those who already have lung problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. For older adults with physical health problems, temperatures as low as 80 F (26.7 C) can pose significant danger. And when humidity is as high as 90 per cent, even 78 F (25.6 C) can be hazardous to older adults. Nighttime heat is especially harmful for older adults whose homes lack air conditioning or who can't afford to run their air conditioners for long periods. The ideal temperature for older adults' restful sleep is between 68 and 77 F (20 and 25 C), and sleep quality diminishes as temperatures rise. A night of restless sleep can make an older adult more depressed and confused during their waking hours. Medications also can lose their effectiveness if stored in places much warmer than 77 F (25 C). Older adults also may suffer emotionally during stifling <keyword id="20472420" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat-waves" source="keywords">heat waves</keyword> Being stuck indoors when temperatures are unbearable can make older adults bored, depressed and isolated. People with cognitive impairments may underestimate the dangers of extreme heat or may not understand the heat advisories. Those who have physical mobility limitations or lack access to transportation can't easily travel to public cooling centers - if there is one nearby - or find relief in nearby "green and blue areas," such as parks and lakes. These threats are especially dire in low- and middle-income nations, where older adults are more likely to live in substandard housing and lack access to high-quality health care or ways to cool down in the heat. We talk about this as "systemic cooling poverty." What can be done? Policymakers can work to cut greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and factories, which drive global warming, and develop effective plans to protect older people from heat risk. Older adults and their caregivers also can take steps to adapt. But efforts to help need to be tailored to each region and population. Wealthy municipalities can increase public investments in early warning systems and ride services to cooling centers and hospitals. They can use geographic information systems to identify neighborhoods with high concentrations of older adults and expand power grids to manage increasing demand for air conditioning. In regions with substandard housing, limited access to clean water and few public supports such as cooling centers, much larger changes are necessary. Providing better health care, water and housing and reducing air pollution that can mitigate health problems during heat waves require significant changes and investments many countries struggle to afford. The World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization warn that this decade will be critical for preparing communities to handle rising heat and the risk to aging populations. Across all regions, researchers, practitioners and policymakers could save lives by heeding their call. 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Heat waves can be deadly for older adults: An aging global population and rising temperatures mean millions are at risk

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/one-planet"></a><div type="image" title="Aliana Alexis of Haiti stands on the concrete slab of what is left of her home after destruction from Hurricane Dorian in Great Abaco Island, Bahamas on Sept. 5, 2019." height="2000" width="2666" msid="103642328" hostid="261" sizebytes="461098"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>By 2050, the World Bank <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/09/13/climate-change-could-force-216-million-people-to-migrate-within-their-own-countries-by-2050">estimates</a> there could be 216 million internal climate refugees worldwide.</li><li>People living in the Caribbean and Pacific Islands are at a greater risk of climate displacement.</li><li>While Caribbean islands have some of the lowest greenhouse-gas emissions, they're most vulnerable.</li></ul>As temperatures reach a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hothouse-earth-climate-change-tipping-point-2018-8">breaking point</a> worldwide, so does the global migration crisis.Last year, over 32 million people around the world were forced to flee their homes because of natural disasters, the <a href="https://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre</a> found. That's the highest figure in a decade.By 2050, the World Bank <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2021/09/13/climate-change-could-force-216-million-people-to-migrate-within-their-own-countries-by-2050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> that climate change could force 216 million people to be displaced from their homes within their own countries. A report by the Institute for Economics and Peace suggested that over <a href="https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Ecological-Threat-Register-Press-Release-27.08-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 billion people</a> could face displacement because of natural disasters within the next 30 years.For those living in the Caribbean and Pacific islands, who largely live in coastal areas and rely on natural resources for their livelihood, that risk is imminent."We need to recognize that climate displacement is happening now. It isn't a future issue — it's a current issue that grows more urgent every day," Ama Francis, a climate-displacement project strategist at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said.<div type="image" title="Two Maui residents look through the ashes of their family home after the wildfires this week." height="4349" width="5798" msid="103642329" hostid="261" sizebytes="1384026"></div><h2>Migration and the climate crisis</h2>In August, wildfires devastated the Hawaiian island of <a href="https://www.insider.com/maui-hawaii-wildfires-update-photos-damage-2023-8?_gl=1*xqb9t6*_ga*MTk0Njc5OTAyNS4xNjg2MDc2MTgz*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTY5NDE3NTE1Ny4xNjMuMC4xNjk0MTc1MTY5LjQ4LjAuMA..">Maui</a>, resulting in a death toll of at least 115 people. An estimated <a href="https://apnews.com/article/maui-hawaii-fires-lahaina-destruction-evacuation-38ec0d6a5c610035a0a72b804fcdffe0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4,500 people</a> have been displaced from their homes. Climate change is thought to be one of several contributors to the wildfires — as droughts increased in the region, vegetation dried, creating dry conditions conducive to fires.In an <a href="https://time.com/6305817/maui-wildfires-climate-change-colonialism-essay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essay</a> for Time following the wildfires, Kaniela Ing, a former Hawaii state legislator, underscored how those most affected by the climate crisis were often Indigenous, Black, brown, and low-income communities."These groups have contributed the least to climate change, but have suffered the most, and must be prioritized in our transition to a better world," Ing wrote.Migration and the climate crisis are inextricably linked, climate experts say. Without addressing the emergency, the migration crisis will continue to escalate."Only addressing migration without acknowledging climate change disregards the increasing drivers of migration," Adelle Thomas, a senior fellow at the University of the Bahamas, said. According to data analyzed by ProPublica and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>, 1% of the planet is considered "a barely habitable hot zone." By 2070, that number could reach 19%. This crisis could trigger a series of massive migrations worldwide.<div type="image" title="Members of the Lahaina Canoe Club hold hands in prayer in honor of a member who died in the fires. The outing was the first time the club members, many of whom lost their homes, had paddled together since the fires." height="1389" width="1853" msid="103642330" hostid="261" sizebytes="167048"></div><h2>Island nations are especially vulnerable</h2>Island nations in the Caribbean and the Pacific are especially vulnerable to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, increased drought, and changes in rainfall patterns. A <a href="https://disasterdisplacement.org/portfolio-item/fma-caribbean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case study</a> by Francis from 2019 found that the Caribbean region accounted for six out of the 10 countries and territories worldwide with the highest average annual internal displacement per capita. A 2018 IDMC <a href="https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/WIM%20TFD%20III.1-3%20Output.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> also predicted that 5.9% of the population of the Bahamas could be displaced annually because of tropical cyclones.Yet experts say there's no sustainable adaptation strategy. Thomas told Insider that our ability to respond to climate hazards in the Caribbean was constrained by the region's small physical size, limited economies of scale, small relative population size, and limited reliance on natural-environment sectors. "These characteristics make it more difficult to sustainably develop and also make it more challenging to respond to the escalating hazards that climate change presents," Thomas said. On top of the lack of policies, climate researchers said international legal protections for climate refugees were made almost impossible through a narrow set of rules defined by the Refugee Convention. No nation accepts climate change, specifically, as a reason to offer asylum, Kayly Ober, a senior program officer for the climate, environment, and conflict program at the US Institute of Peace, said."I do believe that we need a strengthened system in which climate change should be part of the assessment and criteria used to determine refugee or status," she said. <div type="image" title="An aerial view of damage caused by Hurricane Dorian is seen in Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco Island on September 4, 2019." height="2000" width="2666" msid="103642333" hostid="261" sizebytes="1544328"></div><h2>Recognizing the rights of climate-displaced people</h2>In 2019, Hurricane Dorian left about <a href="https://wgntv.com/2019/09/08/future-uncertain-for-70000-in-the-bahamas-left-homeless-by-dorian/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">70,000 Bahamians</a> homeless. The Trump administration would not grant Temporary Protected Status to those who sought refuge from the natural disaster, despite acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-dismisses-idea-allowing-bahamians-u-s-after-hurricane-dorian-n1051576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that the status would be "appropriate" given the circumstances."I don't want to allow people that weren't supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers," President Donald Trump said in a controversial press briefing following the hurricane."Relocation of people is a very complex process that will need to incorporate the involvement of the international community in the event that there is a need for international migration," Thomas said. "As we see global temperatures continue to rise, there is a critical need for further attention to these issues in order to develop potential solutions for just and equitable migration."If there's one thing the international community, including the US, could do, it's strengthen the policy to recognize the rights of climate-displaced people, experts told InsiderFrancis suggested the Biden administration implement existing legal tools outlined in a 2021 <a href="https://refugeerights.org/news-resources/u-s-opportunities-to-address-climate-displacement-august-2-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Refugee Assistance Project report</a>. Policies include leveraging the US refugee definition, Temporary Protected Status, and training for immigration officials to recognize how the climate crisis contributes to valid refugee claims.<div type="image" title="Displaced people stay in a warehouse in Haiti after losing their homes to flooding due to Hurricanes Ike and Hanna in 2008. The country was subjected to four powerful hurricanes and tropical storms within only 20 days." height="768" width="1024" msid="103642334" hostid="261" sizebytes="53100"></div>"Since 2008, climate-related and other environmental disasters have displaced more people within their own countries than conflict," Francis told Insider. "As climate change increasingly drives people to flee their homes, there is a pressing need to build on existing law to address climate displacement." Climate experts agree that displacements in the Pacific and the Caribbean are also a social-justice issue."If we look, historically and even now, at which countries have been emitting the majority of greenhouse gasses versus who is suffering from impacts, then we see incredible injustices," Thomas said.In fact, while Caribbean islands have some of the <a href="https://intraacpgccaplus.org/story/caribbean-countries-reduce-their-carbon-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world's lowest greenhouse gas emissions</a>, they are the most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.By using a climate-justice lens, Thomas added, supporting those who are being displaced is "not charity but instead addresses injustices and inequalities that have caused this need in the first place."Experts say there's still a lot of work to be done. In addition to reducing emissions, climate advocates call for strengthened policies to ensure those affected by climate disasters have access to safety."People shouldn't be forced to leave home because of climate change," Francis said. "Providing islands with the resources to adapt is very important so that people can stay in place if that's what they choose."

Recognizing the rights of climate refugees is the first step to relocating the millions of vulnerable island-nation residents who could be displaced in the next 3 decades

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 18 million occupied rental units are exposed to climate-related risks, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies said in a <a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_Americas_Rental_Housing_2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a>.</li><li>This could strain rental stock supply, boost prices, and cause a jump in evictions.</li></ul>41% of occupied rental units in the US are located in areas exposed to severe climate-related threats, a <a href="https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/reports/files/Harvard_JCHS_Americas_Rental_Housing_2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a> published by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies reported. Specifically, about 18.2 million units are at risk of substantial loss damage, whether from hurricanes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes and similar hazards. That accounts for 35% to 40% of multifamily buildings, and 45% of single-family rentals."Notably, newer rental units are much more likely to be vulnerable to weather- and climate-related hazards. Nearly half of rentals built in 2000 or later are located in areas with substantial losses, double the 24 percent of rentals built before 1940," the report said, citing that 52% of manufactured units are at risk. But older rental stock has the highest rate of inadequacies, leaving them also vulnerable to environmental damage. US rental supply is now at its oldest level ever, with millions of rental units deficient in some form. Energy upgrades are also needed as rising temperatures and changing weather boost renter use.To limit future threats, the report emphasized a need to invest in pre-disaster mitigation and adaptation strategies, helping ensure that the dwindling stock of rental housing doesn't fall, and curb evictions and rent increases that typically follow climate-related disaster.Last year, 28 climate events cost $92.9 billion, though this estimate may rise, a January <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/beyond-data/2023-historic-year-us-billion-dollar-weather-and-climate-disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information found.This is translating to higher insurance costs for both renters and homeowners, as well as less coverage, as insurers retreat from high-cost communities. Housing markets are still adjusting, with around <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/home-values-collapse-climate-change-risks-insurance-market-first-street-2023-9">39 million homes</a> still insured at prices that don't reflect today's climate hazards, First Street Foundation previously reported.Climate-related risks could also come to eventually batter down home values, with <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/housing-market-crash-correction-2008-comparison-market-mispriced-big-short-2023-4">20% of the housing market</a> at risk of devaluation from flood damage exposure, DeltaTerra's Dave Burt projected last year.Among homebuyers, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/housing-market-climate-risks-floods-heat-fires-drought-real-estate-2023-9">four-fifths now take climate change</a> into account when property shopping, though many still move to at-risk regions due to affordability.

18 million rental units are at risk as climate disasters get more common, Harvard study says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-crisis-could-turn-around-this-decade-ipcc-report-2022-4">climate crisis</a> is making our food systems vulnerable, and scientists expect it to get worse.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heat-waves-are-dominating-summer-and-its-not-abnormal-anymore-2022-7">Extreme weather</a> and long-term environmental changes harm crops, livestock, and fisheries.</li><li>Researchers and scientific reports answer key questions about food and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-climate-declaration-follows-inaction-from-congress-2022-7">climate crisis</a>.</li></ul>In Kansas, more than 2,000 cattle died in a record <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-maps-extreme-heat-could-last-weeks-2022-6">heat wave</a>. In Tunisia, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/heat-wave-fires-damaging-tunisias-grain-harvest-2022-06-27/">fires</a> razed fields of grain to the ground. In southern China, historic <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/20/world/southern-china-southern-severe-flood-rain-climate-crisis-intl-hnk/index.html">flooding</a> damaged almost 100,000 hectares of crops. In northern Italy, a farm lobby <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/drought-threatens-northern-italys-crops-lobby-warns-2022-06-17/">warned</a> that drought could claim half the region's agricultural output.That was just June.The global food supply is taking a hit from pandemic-driven labor shortages, supply-chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine. Underlying it all is the climate crisis."Without a doubt, it's always there. And it's now always going to be there," said Ed Carr, the director of the International Development, Community, and Environment Department at Clark University.<div type="image" title="woman crouches in dry cracked field filled with small withered brown plants" height="1533" width="2044" msid="93282577" hostid="261"></div>Rising temperatures have been changing weather conditions and ecosystems across the planet for decades, before the pandemic or the war began. That's chipping away at the security of our food system and priming it for new crises.It's not all bad news, but the future of food hangs in the balance. Here's what experts, scientific studies, and international climate reports tell us.<h2>Remind me: What is climate change? What's the big deal?</h2>When humans burn coal and oil for fuel, that releases carbon dioxide. The gas's concentration in the atmosphere has increased 50% since 1850, and the rate of increase has tripled since the 1960s. All that carbon dioxide (plus other emissions, such as methane, from our agriculture, garbage dumps, and land destruction) is trapping more and more of the sun's heat, raising global temperatures.Since 1850, humans' fossil-fuel dependence has caused global average temperatures to rise about 1.1 degrees Celsius, and scientists warn that we may face a catastrophic 1.5 degrees of warming in 20 years. That may not sound like much, but it's altering the planet's weather and ecosystems, to the detriment of global food supplies.<h2>So how exactly are climate change and the food crisis connected?</h2><div type="image" title="farmer stands in the distance in black charred smoking wheat field" height="1587" width="2116" msid="93282579" hostid="261"></div>Climate change is making droughts, floods, wildfires, and heat waves more severe and more frequent, according to the sixth assessment of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published in installments over the past year.Scientists can't link every individual event to climate change, but research <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/">shows</a> that rising temperatures affect the overall occurrence of extreme weather. Such events can devastate crops and kill livestock, as they did in Kansas, Tunisia, China, and Italy in June.<div type="image" title="woman shakes corn in a tray beside flooded field" height="1531" width="2042" msid="93282581" hostid="261"></div>Climate change also does long-term, chronic damage to our food systems.As baseline temperatures steadily rise, scientists fear some regions of the world will become inhospitable to the foods economies rely on. Several <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1701762114">studies</a> have shown that rising temperatures can cut yields for the staple crops that account for two-thirds of all the calories humans eat: wheat, rice, maize, and soybean. Last year, a NASA <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3124/global-climate-change-impact-on-crops-expected-within-10-years-nasa-study-finds/">study</a> projected that the climate crisis would drive a 24% decline in yields of maize — a crop that factors into countless food products and feeds livestock across the globe.<div type="image" title="dry brown corn plants" height="1605" width="2141" msid="93282583" hostid="261"></div>"Most of the large grain-producing regions in the world are seeing some kind of climate signal, some kind of climate stress," said Carr, who is also a coauthor on the IPCC report.In 2021, Cornell University researchers <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41558-021-01000-1%23author-information">calculated</a> that global farming productivity was already 21% lower than it would be without climate change. Other <a href="https://health2016.globalchange.gov/food-safety-nutrition-and-distribution">research</a> suggested that rising carbon-dioxide levels <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/abfcfa">deplete nutrients</a> in some crops."We see slightly less protein, less iron, less zinc in the grains at higher CO2 levels," said Toshihiro Hasegawa, who studies rice and co-led the IPCC report's chapter on food. "That's really concerning, alarming for people who depend mostly on the diet of the main staple foods."<div type="image" title="two people wearing headlamps bend over planting rice in a flooded field in the dark" height="1533" width="2044" msid="93282585" hostid="261"></div>The oceans, too, are heating up. That's forcing the migration of fish populations — a critical source of protein for billions of people. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/29/climate/climate-change-ocean-fish-iceland.html">Iceland</a>, for example, is losing key fish, such as capelin and cod, as they swim north for cooler waters. Rivers are warming as well, driving a decline in salmon populations in the northwest US.The oceans have also become <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide">30%</a> more acidic as they absorb some of the carbon dioxide that human activities have added to the atmosphere. Shellfish, such as oysters, clams, and mussels, can't escape warming and acidifying waters, so they're more <a href="https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/climate-and-health/shellfish">prone</a> to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/08/canada-sea-creatures-boiling-to-death/">die-offs</a>.The IPCC report <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FinalDraft_Chapter05.pdf">said</a> the effects of climate change on particular fish populations were understudied, but it concluded that ocean warming and acidification were depleting fish stocks.Overall, the IPCC has already documented declines in food quality or yield on every continent because of climate change, as shown in the map below.<h2>That sounds bad. Is that the worst of it?</h2>No. If we don't reel in emissions, up to 10% of the planet's current crop and livestock areas could become unsuitable for agriculture by 2050, the IPCC projected.Especially in Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean, scientists expect that heat and water scarcity will strain agriculture. If global temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial standard — which is well within our current trajectory — the IPCC expects increased malnutrition, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Central and South America, and on small islands. Many of these places already struggle with hunger, and it could get much worse.<div type="image" title="women in colorful cloth line up with buckets pots bowls and jugs" height="1509" width="2300" msid="93282587" hostid="261"></div>"Unless we, as a global community, make very significant cuts to our greenhouse-gas emissions, we can anticipate having many more crises and incidents of acute food insecurity, as well as impacts in terms of food prices," said Rachel Bezner Kerr, the other coleader of the IPCC report's chapter on food.Climate change also means increasing risks to food safety. This year in the US, an avian flu outbreak drove an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/16/bird-flu-egg-prices/">almost 300% increase</a> in the price of eggs. The IPCC warns that there will likely be more infectious-disease outbreaks as rising temperatures allow new pests and pathogens to overlap with livestock and crops.<h2>Will my favorite foods get more expensive or hard to find?</h2><div type="image" title="Grocery store shopper inflation" height="1544" width="2058" msid="93282589" hostid="261"></div>It's unclear. Many factors influence food prices, including labor supply, international relations, efficiency of food production, and consumer demand for particular foods.For now, major foods aren't in imminent danger of disappearing, but a few consumer favorites, such as coffee, chocolate, and wine, are especially vulnerable to climate change."It really will come down to: How much are you willing to pay? Or I guess, maybe given inequality within our country: How much are you able to pay for your favorite food?" Carr said.<div type="image" title="hands stir a bowl of liquid chocolate" height="1534" width="2046" msid="93282591" hostid="261"></div>Coffee-growing areas in Central and South America, Vietnam, and Indonesia are likely to see average temperature increases that make the crop harder to grow. A January <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261976">study</a> in the journal PLOS One projected a "drastic," about 50%, decrease in areas suitable for coffee cultivation by 2050. Already, between 2020 and 2021, extreme weather in Brazil drove the cost of coffee up 70%, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/business/economy/food-prices-inflation-world.html">The New York Times</a> reported, citing data from the International Monetary Fund.<div type="image" title="two coffee berries on a leaf one fat and orange the other small and green" height="1555" width="2074" msid="93282593" hostid="261"></div>Coffee may become "more of a specialty drink, or a treat that you have occasionally," Bezner Kerr said.Chocolate could undergo a similar decline. Most of the world's cocoa — 70% of it — grows in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/cocoa-chocolate-supply-chain-business-bar-africa-exports/">World Economic Forum</a> said, where drier conditions might make cocoa farms <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-chocolate">unsuitable</a> for the plants.Climate disruptions are leading to shortages worldwide. Wildfires and droughts are besieging wine-grape vineyards in California and the Mediterranean. Severe drought in Mexico is cutting chili-pepper yields and driving a <a href="https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-drought-sriracha-short-supply/">Sriracha shortage</a>. Apples <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-climate-change-hurt-this-years-apple-harvest/">suffered</a> from last year's extreme heat and late-spring frosts in the US. In France and Canada, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mustard-shortage-climate-change-supply-chain-2022-6">mustard-seed</a> growers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/19/french-dijon-mustard-supply-hit-by-climate-and-rising-costs-say-producers">reported</a> a changing climate had cut production in half in 2021.<h2>The climate crisis isn't new. How did things get so bad this year?</h2><div type="image" title="man in military uniform stands in charred wheat field with fire in the distance" height="1527" width="2037" msid="93282594" hostid="261"></div>Damages from climate change and disruptive events, such as the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic, compound one another. The war, for example, is exacerbating a preexisting fertilizer shortage and cutting off a crucial global supply of wheat.Even places that don't rely on Ukraine's wheat or fertilizer suffered from the rise in global food prices. For instance, in Malawi farmers were already <a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/wfp-malawi-post-floods-assessment-june-2022">reeling</a> from a late start to the rainy season, which brought extreme flooding. The country turned to imports to replace its lost crops, but now global price hikes could make imported food too expensive for many Malawians, leading to food shortages.<div type="image" title="children crouch in foodwaters holding up small fish they caught near overturned truck" height="1421" width="2500" msid="93282595" hostid="261"></div>"Climate by itself, right now, generally doesn't lead to terrible" food-access outcomes, Carr said, adding, "But it's intersecting with a lot of other stressors that are out there." The coronavirus pandemic dealt a major blow to supply chains and is still driving labor shortages. That weakened the food-supply chain from farm to plate and drove costs higher."You get these worsening impacts from the interaction between a non-climatic factor, such as a conflict, and a climatic factor, such as drought, in a particular region, leading to really severe food crises," Bezner Kerr said.<h2>Can we fix this?</h2><div type="image" title="protesters wearing orange vests and face masks sit on a road surrounded by scattered food bread products and produce" height="1533" width="2044" msid="93282597" hostid="261"></div>We can't stop the globe from warming in the years ahead since the greenhouse gases we've already added to the atmosphere will continue to trap heat. But we can reduce the greenhouse gases we're emitting and adapt our food systems to the changes that are already happening.Those adaptations look different depending on the region and the climate problems it faces. Some farms have already seen success with new water-management tactics, the diversification of crops, and the integration of crops with livestock and forests to improve soil quality. Research institutions are also developing more drought-resistant varieties of staple crops, such as <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2019/march/drought-tolerant-corn-in-the-united-states-research-commercialization-and-related-crop-production-practices/">corn</a>.<div type="image" title="woman walks cow on a lead in front of a large solar array" height="1534" width="2045" msid="93282598" hostid="261"></div>Researchers need to study those solutions more to know if they'll work at scale.To stop the crisis from accelerating even more, we must stop adding carbon to the atmosphere and transition away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.We need to make those changes now, or "the future looks grim," Bezner Kerr said. "I think it's an opportunity, a hopeful opportunity, and it's a closing window."

Climate change is disrupting our food system, which makes it vulnerable to new crises

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biodiversity loss and human impacts are becoming a key component in climate change conversations. </li><li>Experts discuss their views on how biodiversity loss and climate change are also impacting the financial sector. </li><li>The conversation was part of Insider's event "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate," which took place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.</li></ul>As the symptoms of climate change worsen so too do natural disasters, extreme weather events, and food and water scarcity. Wildlife experts and researchers are pressing for more attention to be paid to how the climate crisis is affecting not only humans but also the alarming loss of biodiversity. Dr. Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes at the World Resources Institute spoke with Catherine Boudreau, senior sustainability reporter at Insider, about biodiversity loss in the past decade. Chomba said, "This is hugely driven by, of course, human factors. Human beings, the way we live, the way we cultivate our food, the way we go ahead with our businesses in different dimensions of our lives."In the session Together for a Greener Tomorrow part of the "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate" Dr. Michal Nachmany, CEO and Founder of Climate Policy Radar echoed Choma's sentiments. Nachmany said, "I think between the micro and the macro, between the rhinoceros and the fungi, we need to remember that there are critical services that we don't even know how they are interconnected to each other."<h2>Biodiversity's climate change connection</h2>Chomba said that people often make policy based on a "siloed approach." In terms of climate change she said, "It's really affecting a lot of actors outside the policy environment, like the private sector actors in the energy sector, in the industrial, in the input side on the agriculture side, and of course transport."Nachmany agreed and added that humans love to think in terms of solutions. Nachmany said, "When it comes to biodiversity it is important to think of needs instead of solutions. If we think about what are human needs: humans need shelter, humansneed food, humans need a temperature range that is livable in. And all of those, the solutions that address both climate change and biodiversity conservation are the same solutions."<h2>Finance and Biodiversity</h2>Nachmany noted that the financial sector is trending towards a better understanding of sustainable investment. She said, "Without a livable planet, no investment is safe. We're seeing movement in very strange places, like large investor coalitions that all of a sudden care about nature positive investments."Chomba noted that people who can pay are the ones who are benefitting from biodiverse populations. Referring to the Congo Basin she said, "What we are seeing recently, and especially in a country like DRC, is the government last year decided to issue concessions to at least 27 concessions basically for any kind of use. Anybody who is willing to pay for the concessions gets the rights to use these lands." The Congo is home to critically endangered species and protected indigenous communities. Chomba said, "I think the case of DRC has really tested the global finance mechanisms and the global commitments to protection of biodiversity, to protection of carbon that is already in these ecosystems and to the protection of indigenous people."Catherine Boudreau:really glad that you mentioned finance because what I've been thinking about a lot is how as a society we don't really put a price on nature, even though it does have so much value to communities, to businesses, to governments. So as a result, there aren't always the best financial incentives to protect it when maybe there's more money to be made in other industries, whether it's oil or timber.Nature adds value to communities, businesses, and goverenments society doesn't necessarily put a price on nature. As an outcome governments can't find the best financial incentives to protect nature. Nachmany said, "Financial mechanisms and financial instruments are also a mechanism to ensure that polluting activities and damaging and destructive activities are capped and banned. So you asked if we can put a price on nature, and the question is, can we put a price on destroying nature?"<h2>Biodiversity and vulnerable populations</h2>Nachmany posited that the most vulnerable populations impacted by climate change are often the least likely contributors to the problem. He said, "We have vulnerable communities all over the world, but we see the people who are the strongest but also the ones impacted the most by climate change and biodiversity loss also the ones who have contributed the least towards creating it." On how to tackle biodiversity and the harm to vulnerable populations Chomba said, "The problem is, we don't have strong governance to access that that decentralized power and authority and decision making to these communities more. We still tend to have a lot of centralized regime in terms of how we manage our biodiversity, and that's a key issue."

Experts from the World Resources Institute and Climate Policy Radar discuss biodiversity and climate change.

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/advancing-cities"></a><div type="image" title="Shot from peak of Diamond Head Crater, overlooking Honolulu skyline and Waikiki Beach." height="3165" width="4220" msid="92188999" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Climate change is an urgent issue that many are trying to address.</li><li>City leaders are seeking solutions to these problems to protect their communities. </li><li>Here are three actions leaders can take to make their cities more climate-resilient.</li></ul>Cities across the country are <a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/cities-and-climate-change#:~:text=Rising%20global%20temperatures%20causes%20sea,housing%2C%20human%20livelihoods%20and%20health.">feeling the effects</a> of climate change through more extreme weather events, flooding and sea-level rise, hotter temperatures, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, city leaders are seeking solutions to these problems to protect their communities. <div type="image" title="headshot of Jessica Price" height="936" width="1248" msid="92189002" hostid="261"></div>"Growing our resilience to climate change helps us anticipate, prepare for, and respond to climate hazards," Jessica Price, <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> and resilience manager in the Madison, Wisconsin mayor's office, told Insider. "It opens the door to proactively taking action to avoid or minimize climate impacts, rather than only responding once disaster strikes." Being proactive and taking action now enables cities to embrace an array of solutions and strategies, which Price said will save money in the long run and protect the health and well-being of communities.Here are three actions city leaders should take to make their communities more climate-resilient. <h2>1. Conduct a climate assessment</h2>City leaders must understand how vulnerable they are to the effects of climate change to take action. Price suggested starting with a climate vulnerability assessment, which accounts for the characteristics of different neighborhoods, populations, and existing infrastructure to address climate hazards. Conducting an assessment provides a foundation for cities to develop equitable long- and short-term climate strategies. Madison, for example, is working toward several climate goals outlined in its <a href="https://cityofmadison.com/sites/default/files/news/attachments/climate_forward.pdf">Climate Forward</a> agenda, such as reaching 100% renewable energy and zero-net carbon emissions in city operations by 2030 and community-wide by 2050. "If a comprehensive analysis seems daunting, start by focusing on one climate hazard impacting your area, like heat waves, and build on that work over time," Price said. Cities can conduct a climate assessment internally or partner with a local college, university, nonprofit, or disclosure organization, like <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en">CDP</a>, for analyses and planning help. Price said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-madison-wisconsin-building-resilience-against-climate-change-2022-4">Madison is working with researchers</a> at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to map the city's urban heat island effect and help the city develop a plan to minimize these effects in an equitable way and promote community health and well-being.<h2>2. Engage the community to ensure solutions are equitable</h2><div type="image" title="headshot of Matthew Gonser" height="2050" width="2734" msid="92189004" hostid="261"></div>Because climate solutions are meant to protect community members, Matthew Gonser, chief resilience officer and executive director of the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency for <keyword id="11899377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="honolulu" source="Orion">Honolulu</keyword>, <keyword id="11940260" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hawaii" source="Orion">Hawaii</keyword>, said the "voices from frontline communities should be loud and clear" in developing strategies."The knowledge and experiences of community members illuminate the vulnerabilities, perceptions, values, and strengths to guide strategy and vision," he told Insider. "Engagement empowers both government and the people."Honolulu's Resilience Office developed its Resilience Strategy by engaging the neighborhood boards on the island of Oahu, which is home to Hawaii's capital city and Honolulu County. Residents were surveyed for their concerns about climate change and ideas for solutions, and city officials found that residents were most concerned with hurricanes, cost of living, and how well infrastructure would hold up in a disaster. The office collected hundreds of ideas, which were narrowed down into 44 long-term actions, like making flood insurance more affordable for residents and expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, that comprise the strategy.The city also created an interactive climate game to drive conversations around climate change concerns and hosted community meetings about its Climate Action Plan — another strategy that was adopted in 2021 for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45% within five years and becoming carbon neutral by 2045.Engaging the community also ensures solutions are developed equitably so the residents most affected are prioritized and all neighborhoods share the benefits, Price said. Low-income communities, people of color, the elderly, women, and people with disabilities are often at a higher risk for climate-related impacts, according to a McKinsey &amp; Co. report. Climate change "amplifies existing health, social, and economic inequities," she said.<h2>3. Track and be transparent about climate-resilient progress</h2>Cities should also establish methods for tracking and reporting progress on climate initiatives, Gonser said."This builds trust, establishes accountability, and allows for more informed decision-making," he said, adding that the Resilience Office is in charge of tracking climate progress in Honolulu, which includes monitoring energy and water use in city operations.Statewide, Hawaii launched the Aloha+ Challenge in 2014 to identify and address climate goals based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including clean energy transformation, natural resources management, and building and educating a green workforce. The initiative features an online scorecard where the public can keep an eye on the state's progress on these metrics.Madison also tracks energy use in city buildings and is performing retrofits to make them more energy-efficient. The city tracks and reports its Climate Forward agenda goals, and now has nearly 75% of the electricity for city operations coming from renewable energy, including solar power. Madison strives to reach 100% by 2030.

3 steps communities can take to become more climate-resilient, according to leaders who have made progress in their own cities

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12037021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cop26" source="Orion">COP26</keyword> delegates, <keyword id="12168001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="activists" source="Orion">activists</keyword>, and event workers explain how they feel about the last two weeks of negotiations. </li><li>Climate financing remains a sticking point, and many from the <keyword id="12539104" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="global-south" source="Orion">global south</keyword> and <keyword id="12125934" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="indigenous-communities" source="Orion">indigenous communities</keyword> continue to feel underrepresented. </li></ul>On Friday, November 12, COP26 negotiations entered their last official day in <keyword id="12216950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="glasgow" source="Orion">Glasgow</keyword>, and officials wrapped up the final drafting of the summit's texts. Attendees of the event, workers, and those stationed outside, expressed their thoughts on how much the summit has actually achieved.<div type="image" title="Ta’Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, Tla’amin Nation Canada, Environmental Activist" height="1199" width="1599" msid="87722895" hostid="261"></div>Ta'Kiya Blaney Chegajimixw, Tla'amin Nation Canada, Environmental ActivistWhat they are doing at COP26: Advocating for her grandparents and indigenous peoples from the Tla'amin Nation in Canada"I've been inside these spaces since I was eight. Back then, I ripped up the COP declaration, and I will rip up today's. Nothing has changed inside this space; it is a performance; it's an illusion; it's for convincing the public that something is happening. The climate agreements are actually trade agreements. It's a way of salvaging global economies based upon colonialism and the extraction of our territories without interrupting them.""I came here to expose Canada for the truth of what they're doing, which is raping our lands, arresting our people for protecting our lands, taking indigenous children out of their homes. Still assimilating and actively erasing our culture and then trying to position itself as a climate leader. Our rivers are being gated off for pipelines to root themselves in our territories and provide an energy corridor for further extractive industries. There is a complete dissonance between climate agreements and the Canadian political leaders actions."Azrael*, Indonesia, StudentWhat they are doing at COP26: Working as catering staff"We are using a lot of plastic and non-biodegradable packaging, which is a bit hypocritical in my opinion. We give the guests wooden forks, but the packaging we have for those forks is plastic. That packaging is hidden from the view of the customers. Then we promised we would recycle all the food, but we just throw it in the bin. I'm very worried about <keyword id="11896311" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>, but I guess the food sector doesn't actually affect the outcome of the conference or what they are all talking about. I just hope for the best."A COP26 spokesperson said the menu was designed to ensure food waste is kept to a minimum, with the aim of having less than 1% food waste from the event. "Where there is surplus in relation to non-perishable food, the SEC will provide this to both Fareshare and also Launch Food Children's charity," they said.* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.<div type="image" title="Mokoena France, Lesotho, Meteorologist" height="1500" width="2000" msid="87722897" hostid="261"></div>Mokoena France, Lesotho, Meteorologist What they are doing at COP: Negotiating on behalf of Lesotho"We have made a lot of progress, although there are still a lot of important issues that have not been agreed upon. Crucially, finance and technology, as well as Article 6. I am hopeful, though. We still have a bit of time until the final document is submitted. Ideally, by the end of the day when the closing ceremony starts, we will come to decisions on those final points."<div type="image" title="Jim Bowen, Wales, Managing Director of Clynfyw Care Farm" height="1500" width="2000" msid="87722900" hostid="261"></div>Jim Bowen, Wales, Managing Director of Clynfyw Care Farm What they are doing at COP26: Protesting outside the venue"COP26 has been business as usual. Having JPMorgan and other, similar organizations funding stands inside means it was always going to be a greenwash. What's exciting is what's been happening outside, with different groups around the world coming together, sharing experiences, sharing information about the challenges they've faced, and how they've built resilience. That's where the hope lies. We've got disasters coming, but community resilience is being built now for a better future. We've been failed by our leaders, and we need our grassroots organizations to work together. It's in the grassroots that there's hope. There is no hope from the leadership."<div type="image" title="Pius Agaji Oko, Nigeria, Project Manager of Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria" height="1199" width="1598" msid="87722903" hostid="261"></div>Pius Agaji Oko, Nigeria, Project Manager of Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria What they are doing at COP26: Presenting the voices of those vulnerable to climate change in Nigeria"The more COPs we have, the more issues pile up. The environment will not wait for us. The erratic rainfalls, the droughts, won't wait. What we are clamoring for here is not on the table. Rural people in Nigeria contribute little to climate change but will suffer the most. These people need the utmost care. They need finance to cope or to transition into alternative livelihoods, but the major decisions at COP26 are mostly coming out of the private sector surrounding net-zero. Issues of investment, businesses, and loans are not touching our reality. We hope that, at the last moment, COP will deliver, and listen to the voices that need to be heard."Ji-an*, South Korea, Economics Student What they are doing at COP26: Working as a translator"It's really inspiring to meet so many people who have all come here to protect our planet. I'm glad all countries are trying to participate in the process, but on the other hand, China and India don't have official pavilions here. I had hoped they could be a part of the conference in that way. But hopefully next year things will be better, and we'll have more participants coming together."* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.<div type="image" title="Nada Abdelaziz Babikir Mohamed, Sudan, Member of the High Council for Environment, Urban and Rural Promotion, Khartoum Estate" height="1198" width="1598" msid="87722905" hostid="261"></div>Nada Abdelaziz Babikir Mohamed, Sudan, Member of the High Council for Environment, Urban and Rural Promotion, Khartoum Estate What they are doing at COP26: Assisting negotiators"The conference has been informative. Through hearing about projects other countries have undertaken to adapt to climate change, we've received details of many ways we can mitigate the effects of climate change in Sudan, ways to reduce carbon dioxide levels. Some areas in Sudan are uninhabitable, with little groundwater and no agriculture. In the future, In sha'Allah, we will get the funding to make similar schemes to reduce climate change in certain areas, but this is the first step."Yakubu Sini, Nigeria, Developing and Evaluating Interventions Student What they are doing at COP26: Working as technical personnel to keep the venue clean, and assisting attendees with directions"The conference is good! As I'm working, I look around me and I see active participation, I see passion, I can see people are committed to this. I just hope there are active frameworks with milestones so that it's not just another annual event with all talk and no action. I really want to see drastic action being taken by multinationals in different countries, and especially want to see clear action for Nigeria."<div type="image" title="Saxon Bosworth and Nicolas Bergounioux, England and Biarritz, Documentary Filmmakers" height="1200" width="1600" msid="87722907" hostid="261"></div>Saxon Bosworth and Nicolas Bergounioux, England and Biarritz, Documentary Filmmakers What they are doing at COP26: Interviewing attendees for their upcoming documentary, Mission: Find AralNicolas: "Optimism is key for being successful here. This is my first COP, so perhaps I have an innocent way of seeing it, but we've met so many people working at the grassroots level in their own countries, and there is so much collaboration. All the countries of Central Asia came together in one booth, under 'one region, one voice', and pacific islands have done this too."Saxon: "They're hoping to address the pledges made now by the end of next year, which is disappointing. It's strange to think there will be another COP before pledges are acted upon. But it is what you make of a situation. By speaking to people and soaking up different stories, we gain global insights into different topics. I would hope this mixing of people, outside the negotiation rooms, will enable collaborative work and bring about positive changes - the summit is a mosaic of different possibilities."* Pseudonym to protect the speaker's identity.

COP26 delegates, activists, and event workers explain how they feel about the last two weeks of negotiations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The American Red Cross responds to nearly twice as many disasters today compared with a decade ago.</li><li>The US has already seen 15 billion-dollar disasters in 2023 so far.</li><li>The relief group plans to spend $1 billion over the next few years on more staff and financial aid.</li></ul>Hurricane Idalia, which struck western Florida on Wednesday and moved through the Carolinas as a tropical storm, could be the opening round of what scientists predict <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubm9hYS5nb3YvbmV3cy1yZWxlYXNlL25vYWEtZm9yZWNhc3RlcnMtaW5jcmVhc2UtYXRsYW50aWMtaHVycmljYW5lLXNlYXNvbi1wcmVkaWN0aW9uLXRvLWFib3ZlLW5vcm1hbD91dG1fbWVkaXVtPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImZW1haWw9Y2JvdWRyZWF1JTQwaW5zaWRlci5jb20meD04MTI4ZTI5ZTMwN2Q4YzI2MjI4NzBjNDNkMmU4MzFhMjJjZTUwMDkyNTVhMTUwZDU0NzE3MDM1ZThjYjBkMGE2/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB65b0114d">will be an "above normal" Atlantic hurricane season</a>. Officials <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmxvcmlkYWRpc2FzdGVyLm9yZy9ldmFjdWF0aW9uLW9yZGVycy8_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJmVtYWlsPWNib3VkcmVhdSU0MGluc2lkZXIuY29tJng9ODEyOGUyOWUzMDdkOGMyNjIyODcwYzQzZDJlODMxYTIyY2U1MDA5MjU1YTE1MGQ1NDcxNzAzNWU4Y2IwZDBhNg/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB5c01f592">in about two dozen counties ordered residents</a> to evacuate from the Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula, and hundreds of thousands were without power. During these major disasters, many evacuees head to shelters run by the American Red Cross, which is racing to expand its services as hurricanes, flooding, and wildfires become more extreme due to the climate crisis. Just before Hurricane Idalia made landfall, the relief organization <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVkY3Jvc3Mub3JnL2Fib3V0LXVzL25ld3MtYW5kLWV2ZW50cy9wcmVzcy1yZWxlYXNlLzIwMjMvcmVkLWNyb3NzLWhlbHBzLWNvbW11bml0aWVzLWRldmFzdGF0ZWQtYnktdGhlLWNsaW1hdGUtY3Jpc2lzLmh0bWw_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJmVtYWlsPWNib3VkcmVhdSU0MGluc2lkZXIuY29tJng9ODEyOGUyOWUzMDdkOGMyNjIyODcwYzQzZDJlODMxYTIyY2U1MDA5MjU1YTE1MGQ1NDcxNzAzNWU4Y2IwZDBhNg/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eBe6293296">announced that it plans to spend</a> at least $1 billion over the next several years to respond to climate-fueled disasters and support survivors for longer periods of time. "Today we're responding to nearly twice as many disasters as we were a decade ago," Jennifer Pipa, the American Red Cross' vice president of disaster programs, told Insider. "When we see that kind of monumental increase in demand for our services, we acknowledge that we can't continue to do the same way of business."So far this year, the US has already seen 15 billion-dollar disasters. The Red Cross has responded to <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9sYWhhaW5hLW1hdWktd2lsZGZpcmUtd2hhdC13ZW50LXdyb25nLWNsaW1hdGUtY29sb25pYWxpc20tMjAyMy04P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09bmV3c2xldHRlciZlbWFpbD1jYm91ZHJlYXUlNDBpbnNpZGVyLmNvbSZ4PTgxMjhlMjllMzA3ZDhjMjYyMjg3MGM0M2QyZTgzMWEyMmNlNTAwOTI1NWExNTBkNTQ3MTcwMzVlOGNiMGQwYTY/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB06accbbe">the deadliest wildfire</a> of the last century in Maui, a typhoon that struck Guam in June, record rainfall and <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9zYWZlLXBsYWNlcy1mb3ItY2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2UtdmVybW9udC1mbG9vZHMtMjAyMy03P3V0bV9tZWRpdW09bmV3c2xldHRlciZlbWFpbD1jYm91ZHJlYXUlNDBpbnNpZGVyLmNvbSZ4PTgxMjhlMjllMzA3ZDhjMjYyMjg3MGM0M2QyZTgzMWEyMmNlNTAwOTI1NWExNTBkNTQ3MTcwMzVlOGNiMGQwYTY/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB68871132">flooding in the Northeast</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/32565684.5796/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVzaW5lc3NpbnNpZGVyLmNvbS9jYWxpZm9ybmlhLXJpdmVyLWluLXNreS1jYXVzZXMtZmxvb2RzLXRob3VzYW5kcy1ldmFjdWF0ZS0yLWRlYWQtMjAyMy0zP3V0bV9tZWRpdW09bmV3c2xldHRlciZlbWFpbD1jYm91ZHJlYXUlNDBpbnNpZGVyLmNvbSZ4PTgxMjhlMjllMzA3ZDhjMjYyMjg3MGM0M2QyZTgzMWEyMmNlNTAwOTI1NWExNTBkNTQ3MTcwMzVlOGNiMGQwYTY/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eBcf4a5c89">atmospheric rivers</a> and a tropical storm in California, wildfires up and down the West Coast, and deadly tornadoes in the South and Midwest. The Red Cross and other emergency responders are sometimes forced to return to the same places year after year when disasters strike, and they see the resiliency of those communities erode over time. Pipa said the average recovery time after natural disasters is longer, meaning people are staying in shelters longer and require extra support to transition to sustainable housing. "We've found that 60 to 90 days post-disaster, many national organizations that have come in to provide immediate support have left and are no longer present, so resources aren't available for families," Pipa said. "That's why we're bringing in what we call bridge assistance."To address longer-term needs, the Red Cross has identified some of the most vulnerable communities and is providing families with more direct financial aid for security deposits, home repairs, and child care. The relief organization is also extending case work for up to a year, which assists people with access to healthcare, food, and housing. Nearly 400 households affected by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and the atmospheric rivers in California have participated. The Red Cross is adding 69 staffers, the majority of whom will be located at the local level. By the end of 2024, these employees will be in 15 counties across a dozen states.Establishing relationships with small nonprofits, religious organizations, and other community groups before disaster strikes is also part of the strategy, Pipa said. These groups don't always know how to plug in to a disaster-relief operation or access federal dollars, but they're often critical to delivering food to rural residents or providing healthcare."There are three distinct barriers to recovery: housing, food insecurity, and physical and mental health," Pipa said. "Those are all things that we see consistently keep folks from transitioning from shelters to their next recovery step. The Red Cross won't ever be everything to everyone. So connecting families with community partners that have expertise in these areas results in better outcomes for families."

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