Independent list Climate 100 List 2024

The climate crisis is the defining issue of our time. Currently, solving this problem should be at the top of every country's priority list. In this time of great unrest around the world, it may seem counterintuitive for him to take precedence, but frankly, if we don't act now, nothing else will.

As Greta Thunberg so accurately and succinctly puts it, it is an existential emergency. Last year was the hottest on record, with temperatures in the UK reaching 34.8°C. Forest fires have swept through Europe, hurricanes are increasingly out of season, and crops are destroyed by floods and droughts, pushing ecosystems to the brink.

In addition to the terrifying effects we can see and feel, there are those that are not visible but very present, including the disparity between rich and poor nations. The latter bear a disproportionately large part of the physical and financial burden of the climate crisis, but have contributed the least to it. Island states, smaller countries and coastal areas are at risk of complete inundation. Entire cultures could be lost along with the land, and entire populations are at risk of displacement. We are approaching tipping points where the drastic effects of the human-caused climate crisis will become irreversible . (More on independent.co.uk)