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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The World Economic Forum or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: A new feature by the World Economic Forum explores how climate science can enhance business resilience amid escalating environmental and economic disruptions
• With global temperatures surpassing 1.5°C in 2024—the hottest year on record—and extreme weather costing over $2 trillion globally in the past decade, the report argues that integrating climate science into corporate strategy is no longer optional but essential for long-term viability.
🔭 The context: While many companies embraced climate action following the 2015 Paris Agreement, momentum is now faltering amid policy fragmentation, geopolitical instability, and a retreat from multilateralism
• Experts, including Johan Rockström and Sumant Sinha, warn that the current climate trajectory—combined with weakened public policy — demands that businesses step up by embedding climate risk into decision-making frameworks and aligning operations with planetary boundaries
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate science offers a strategic lens to anticipate systemic risks—from disrupted supply chains to rising insurance costs—and can inform adaptation strategies that protect both profit and planet
• Businesses that fail to incorporate these insights risk compounding global warming and undermining collective mitigation efforts
• By contrast, those aligning with scientific evidence can lead in shaping a sustainable, low-carbon economy that is resilient to escalating climate shocks
⏭️ What's next: Thought leaders propose reforming international climate summits (COPs) to focus less on new pledges and more on delivery and implementation — through smaller, action-oriented gatherings that integrate government, business, academia, and civil society
• In parallel, industry must accelerate deployment of climate technologies—like electric vehicles and green hydrogen — by urging supportive policies and investing in scalable infrastructure
• Business action, guided by science and grounded in long-term thinking, will be critical to bridging the current implementation gap
💬 One quote: “Climate change fundamentally undermines life support for humanity—the stability of the environmental systems that we all depend on,” – Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
📈 One stat: $2 trillion – the estimated global economic cost of climate-related extreme weather events over the past decade (2014–2024)
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