Climate change: A race we must win

We face a new era of climate crisis. July 2019 was the hottest month on record, and the period from 2015 to 2019 is on track to become the five hottest years in human history.

The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at its highest point in human history. And climate-related devastations strike more often than ever, with droughts, cyclones, heatwaves and landslides regularly attacking our planet, causing casualties worldwide and huge economic losses to countries and individuals, particularly affecting the most vulnerable in societies.

The latest report of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific shows natural disasters in the region are currently responsible for economic losses of up to $675 billion a year and affecting close to 150 million people.