These striking visuals show how rising temperatures are affecting the Earth

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Douglas Broom, Senior Writer, Formative Content & Gill Cassar, Head, 1t.org, World Economic Forum

• 2020 was the hottest year on record, having risen to 1.2°C above the level at the end of the 19th century.
• A new series of time-lapse images shows the dramatic impact of this warming.
• From flooding to increasingly severe weather events, cities, businesses and citizens are being forced to adapt.

Earlier this year, 2020 was confirmed as the hottest year on record, continuing a seven-year trend. But how is this warming affecting our planet?

NASA observations show that global average temperatures in 2020 were higher than in 2016, the previous warmest year, with temperatures 1.02°C above the baseline 1951-1980 mean and 1.2°C above the average at the end of the 19th century.

Now Google Earth has released time-lapse imagery showing the dramatic impact across the globe, from the Poles to Africa and Central Asia.

Meanwhile, the below images show the dramatic impact of the planet’s warming on some of its most vulnerable places.

1. Columbia Glacier, Alaska, United States

The Columbia Glacier, which flows down the Chugach Mountains into Prince William Sound, has retreated more than 20 kilometres in the time elapsed between the capture of the above two images. This makes it one of the fastest-changing glaciers on the planet, with rising temperatures one of the factors in the decline.

NASA says the glacier’s retreat adds to rising global sea levels as chunks of ice break off in a process known as “calving”. However, it says it’s likely the retreat will slow when the glacier reaches the shoreline.

2. Mylius-Erichsen Land, Greenland

Northern Greenland’s melting ice sheets add directly to the global rise in sea levels. Although some of Greenland’s glaciers have grown in recent years, NASA says this is due to a temporary cooling in sea temperatures that is likely to flip back to warming and accelerate the rate of melting.

The Greenland Ice Sheet covers 1.7 million square kilometres, an area three times the size of the US state of Texas. But despite the regrowth of some glaciers, scientists say the overall rate of ice melting from Greenland is faster is accelerating at a faster pace.

3. Pine Island Glacier, Antarctica

Pine Island Glacier is one of the fastest-retreating glaciers in Antarctica, where more than 97% of the surface is covered in ice sheets that hold almost three-quarters of the world’s supply of fresh water. The Pine Island Glacier is currently 2,000 metres deep resting on the seafloor, and scientists say warming seawater could cause it to retreat even faster.

What’s the World Economic Forum doing about climate change?

Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report continues to rank these environmental threats at the top of the list.

To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term climate actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.Global warming can be beaten thanks to this simple plan

The World Economic Forum’s Climate Initiative supports the scaling and acceleration of global climate action through public and private-sector collaboration. The Initiative works across several workstreams to develop and implement inclusive and ambitious solutions.

This includes the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a global network of business leaders from various industries developing cost-effective solutions to transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. CEOs use their position and influence with policy-makers and corporate partners to accelerate the transition and realize the economic benefits of delivering a safer climate.

Contact us to get involved.Mission Possible Platform: Delivering industry pathways t…

Major cities face flood risk

The US Geological Survey says if all of the world’s glaciers were to melt into the ocean, global sea levels would rise 70 meters, flooding the world’s coastal cities. https://earthtime.org/m/stories/Sea_Level_Rise

As the animation illustrates, the warmer the planet gets, the more major cities will be impacted by a rise in sea levels driven by climate change. A temperature rise of 4°C would see the Chinese city of Shanghai wiped almost entirely from the map, displacing more than 20 million people.

Floods are just one threat. Heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes and wildfires all present a growing risk. In this video, Richard Mattison, of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Biodiversity & Natural Capital, expands on these threats, noting 60% of S&P 500 companies have one or more assets exposed to direct risk from extreme weather events.